Through the Lense
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Hyo Shin knows that his sister is eccentric, but the rest of society thinks she's too risque. She works for Jeguk Group and excels at her job. He understands what she wants but knows it different than what she needs. When a new business partnership opens up, she's put in charge of it but things suddenly go awry and she's tossed into different territory. R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I keep forgetting to write these things.

This story is a little bit on the different side than what I usually do, but it's been on my mind. I don't know why, but it has been. So I hope you like it.

* * *

Hyo Shin knew the shoes when he walked into the house. Shaking his head, he took the shopping bags to the kitchen and put all the new groceries away. This was his normal, everyday life. His high school days were behind him, and so was the military. He was in college to do what he loved and was tutoring and working at a radio station. He was enjoying life and the relationships he had made. And the many shoes in front of his door proved it some nights.

Usually there were only four pairs of shoes at any given time, but life for his roommate had been very hectic lately. New promotions had to be created and long nights of the computer had become common. Their hours were staggered most of the time so he was usually home by himself a lot. Every now and then he'd catch a glimpse of his roommate flutter by.

He heard a bang on the wall and something shattered followed by a laugh. Another precious item destroyed but contented laughter was always a hopeful sign. Lately the house had been too quiet because he had been home alone or no one was home. Or it was too loud because someone was yelling at a computer. There was no in between.

The bedroom door at the end of the hall flew open, and a figure darted out and to the next door. Hyo Shin caught a glimpse of bare flesh and a pattern of stars. Secretly he was a glad his girlfriend wasn't here. Rachel wouldn't be too keen on the sight he had just witnessed. It was normal for him. For an upstanding woman of society, not so much.

The bathroom door opened again. Hyo Shin watched the woman walk toward him, robe tightly closed around her waist. She sat down on the stool across from him and reached for the spoon in the pot. He slapped her hand but she somehow ended up with it.

"What did you break this time?" he asked while passing a bowl of rice to her.

"A cup," she replied. He scrunched up his nose as he dished out some soup. "It wasn't anything important."

"It was mine." The man who spoke sat down and swiped the woman's bowl. "I have about ten of them."

"Noona, you're a piece of work," Hyo Shin scolded.

"He's judging you, Hana," the other man voiced.

Hana ignored both men and continued eating. Older than Hyo Shin by seven years, Hana was their parents' first attempt at having an attorney general, but she had refused to follow their plan for her life. She had instead gone to a prestigious art school in America and had earned a public relations degree. She had driven a wedge between her and her mother when she had done so, but she hadn't really cared. She wasn't cookie cutter material.

Another major thing going against Hana when it came to their parents was she was extremely sexually active. Hyo Shin could barely keep up with the number of hi sister's partners. She was very health conscious so she didn't have any diseases or of the such, and she had never had more than one partner at a time. She had been in a relationship with every single one of them. Well, all but one.

And he was currently sitting across the island from him.

Cory Woo was a foreign-born publisher who had come to Korea to take over his grandmother's publishing company. He had met Hana while in college and they had become close friends. That friendship had changed after an abusive relationship Hana had been in. Though they slept together on a regular basis, they had never dated. And when they were in relationships, they were monogamous. They were completely loyal to their partners.

Hyo Shin watched the two associate with each other over breakfast. They were way to comfortable with the other, no topic was off limits. Currently, Cory was looking under the collar of her robe.

"How's your new propaganda going?" he asked, hoping desperately to get their focus on something else. He really didn't want to see his sister naked.

"I finished it last night. Our new department head is coming tomorrow and I have to present," she answered, making a face in the process.

"Well, please keep your neck covered."

She stared at him, a dull look encompassing her bright eyes. "Really? I thought I was going to wear a crop top with a very short skirt."

Cory shook his head and spooned hand at the same time. "No. I would kill you."

The youngest person laughed. "You're not even dating."

The older man was adamant. "Hana is better than that. She may be a little looser with physical issues," Hana laughed at his choice of words, "but she doesn't broadcast it by the clothes she wears."

Hana pointed at him. "He wouldn't let me leave my dorm in a sexy nurse's costume when we were in college."

"It's amazing you two are even friends," Hyo Shin joked.

Though the comment was made as a joke, Hyo shin was legitimately worried about his sister. She was an atypical woman living in a typical world. She didn't want to be tied down, and that often led to abusive relationships. She'd always had Cory to fall back on. But eventually Cory was going to find someone for himself. Where would that leave Hana? She couldn't follow him, not that she did anyway.

Watching her, he saw Hana's carefree nature, but he could also see the quiet contemplative woman he had known growing up. She was fun, but she was a typical woman. She wanted a deep and loving relationship, particularly with a man who was as wild as she was when she was ready to go.

"Little brother." He snapped out of his stupor. She was smiling at him. "I'm all right."

"I just worry about you," he admitted. "Eomma said you struggled a little when I went to the army."

She chuckled a bit. When he'd gone to the army right after high school, she had been finishing her master's degree. She had wanted to come home to see him off, but school had demanded her attention. But when she had come back, her mother wouldn't let her in the house unless she went on a blind date. She had dated one guy for a few months, but it hadn't felt right. Since then, she hadn't tried blind dating again. And with Cory firmly at her side, she didn't typically worry. She wasn't the type just to jump into marriage.

"Noona," she looked up at him. He reached across the island and rubbed his thumb under her eye. Her lip quivered, and he knew she was feeling something deeper than she was letting on.

Cory rested his hand on Hyo Shin's wrist. It wasn't demanding but it was asking him to stop. Knowing that the man knew his sister, he pulled his hand back and set about cleaning up from breakfast.

The older adults placed the empty bowls in the sink and went to get dressed. Hyo Shin could hear them talking as they got ready. It was a rare mixture of English and Korean. Hana was fluent in several languages but he'd never heard her speak them. Hearing it now made him mesmerized by his sister even more.

They were still talking as they emerged. Cory looked like his normal self in khakis and a nice shirt. Hana on the other hand looked out of character.

So he laughed. "In the last eight years, I've never seen you in pants."

"I only wear them when it's important," she said.

"The tattoos on her ankles are frowned upon," Cory laughed.

She nodded. "And my back. And my shoulders, and…"

Cory slapped a hand over her mouth. "This may be your home, but there are few things that need to be kept secret."

"Enough, you two perverts. You're going to be late for work," Hyo Shin scolded. He handed them two wrapped lunch boxes. "It's leftovers from our work party last night. I know Sky Line is your favorite restaurant so I figured you'd like these."

Hana smiled and accepted the blue clothed box. "No matter what, you're still my favorite person."

Hyo Shin waved her off. Cory raised his gift in thanks and followed the woman out the door. The young man could hear them bickering as they walked down the hallway.

* * *

"Noona!"

Hana looked up from the computer at the dark headed man who had called her name burst into her glass office. Things had been pretty quiet since she had arrived, but everything was starting to pick up as it always did. She was swamped with new things that always came up when she was excited about something.

He looked out of breath. He pushed at his frizzing hair to get his bangs out of his eyes. This was Yoon Chan Young, a very smart man who had a keen eye for colors and impressive things.

"What did I miss at the meeting this morning?" she asked.

"Alpha Advertising is coming in a day early. Our presentation is due at one," he advised.

Hana paused what she was doing momentarily the continued clicking away on the computer. "It's all printed out and put together. You're doing the presentation anyway. You don't need me."

She spun around and came face to face with him. He looked pitiful, but not enough to make her pity him. He had done presentations before. This was nothing new.

"Noona! You have to help me," he complained.

She shook her head and turned back to her computer. "No. You've done this too many times before for me to pity you. Go do your job."

He shook the back of her chair in attempts to get her to go with him. "This is too big for me. Help me. Please."

"You figured your way around Jeguk High School. Jeguk Company isn't any different. You weren't hired because you were a kiss ass. You were hired because you take charge when I'm gone."

He sputtered at her. "But you're right here right now."

"Consider me not here from this point on. I've got some other things to work on and don't need to be disturbed."

Chan Young felt the push back she was known for giving. No matter how much he begged, she wasn't going to give him her time. He had been hired to give advertising presentations. He was supposed to show that they could benefit Alpha Advertising in the way Jeguk Group needed. The company was still coming off the scandal of Tan's birth, and forming an alliance with Alpha Advertising was going to help bring their popularity back up again.

Hana looked back at the boy who was only a year younger than her brother. He looked like a lost puppy at that time that it made her want to laugh. But she wasn't going to because that was going to make things a little bit more difficult for him.

There was a knock on the door. Cory's smiling face greeted her. She looked up at Chan Young and saw his pout. She laughed at him and touched his elbow gently.

"He's only here to deliver the fliers you're going to need for the presentation," she defended.

Everyone knew Cory was known to show up and they would disappear. It was something everyone had come to expect and at the same time they were used to the life style of their art director.

Cory handed the box to him. "There are ten copies of the 8.5'x11' and twelve of the legal copies. Rise made a poster sized version by hand first and we edited it this way. There will be a little bit of distortion since it's been shrunk but it's still the same piece. I hope this helps with your presentation."

Chan Young looked at Hana as if she had grown a second or third head. "Why do you do this?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Do what?"

"You make me feel like I can't do anything then produce something you know I'm going to need."

Hana shook her hands in front of her face. "I didn't do anything. They were supposed to be delivered today. It just so happens the presentation was moved up by a day."

Cory was shocked. "They moved the presentation up?" Both people nodded. "Are you presenting?"

She shook her head. "No. I have some other business I have to do. If it were tomorrow, I may. But today is another account I need to make to make Won happy."

Chan Young looked nervous. "I still can't believe you call him by his name."

"I'm older than he is and he called me noona growing up just like you did. I don't care that he's a CEO. He's still Won."

Cory laughed. "It's amazing you haven't been fired yet."

"She's one of my best workers." They were all slightly surprised to see Kim Won, CEO of Jeguk Group in her door. "Yoon Chan Young, are you ready?"

Chan Young cast Hana a look but she waved him on. He dropped his head then grabbed the box from Cory's hands. He plodded past Won and took a left. Hana laughed at him only when he was out of earshot. Won shook his head.

"You're brutal to him some days," he admonished.

"I'm not brutal. Just real. He can do anything he sets his mind to. I've seen it. He just doesn't want to give this presentation." She had returned to her computer to save her work.

"If they had come tomorrow like originally planned, you would be doing the presentation. But they insisted on coming today due to the CEO's family plans tomorrow. Even he can't get out of things like that."

"He just doesn't have the right issues to do so."

Cory looked at Won when the younger man made a face. "You really don't want to get involved with that, do you? Think of your wife and what she would say."

Won nodded as he pulled a face. "Oh, she would say plenty. Everyone already does."

"That's the beauty of it," Hana said. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. So I like to have sex. So does everyone else. I'm just a little more open about it."

"You're judged for it as well." She shrugged, and that's all Won needed to understand about his friend and employee. "All right. Just be careful."

She laughed. "You're the third person to tell me that."

Won laughed then excused himself to go to the meeting. Hana walked Cory to the elevator so he could go down as she was headed up. They heard the doors ding then open. Six well-dressed men walked out after a secretary and headed to the conference room.

"I think that's my brother," Cory said as they watched them pass by.

"Does your brother work at Alpha Advertising?" Hana asked. He nodded as he watched the men disappear. "Then that's Eric. And you better go or you're going to be late for your own meeting."

Cory ruffled her hair before stepping into the elevator. The doors shut behind him, and Hana pushed the button to the box again. This time she looked over her shoulder in time to see Won meeting everyone outside the conference room. Unsurprisingly, he pointed at her, causing the six men to turn around and look at her. She bowed in hello then stepped on the elevator. As the doors closed, she could have sworn one of the men watched her long after she had disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** So I get bored easily and my brain goes off on tangents. I think this is the product of that tangent. Some scenes just pop into my head and I go with them.

* * *

Hana spun around in her chair until she became dizzy. She was at a standstill.

After her meeting with the new company that was associated with Jeguk, she had been pressured to come up with a new idea. The last artistic group they had talked to had given them something that was completely out there. The company was the major producer of feminine hygiene products, but she was focusing on condoms. It was all in their way of promoting safe sex in young people.

She had been wracking her brain for the last few hours. Every way to advertise this kind of thing had been used. How was she going to come up with something completely new and fresh?

Grabbing her sketchbook, she ventured out into the late night office atmosphere. Her charcoal pencil at the ready, she sketched, wrote, doodled, and penned everything she saw. A secret office romance, a married couple who worked in separate departments leaving together, a young employee pining for his older manager. All these things could lead to any sorts of sexual advances. But she was supposed to target young people. People who were uninhibited.

People like her.

She had been very grateful for the openness in America. She could get what she needed without having to feel guilty. She kept a supply of condoms in whatever bag she carried. It had been her custom since she had lived overseas. But appealing to the market was a bit different than what she thought it would be. Things were more restricted here than in the U.S. She had to come up with something.

"Use your own experience."

She heard Cory speaking to her as if he were there. Clearly he wasn't because he was supposed to be working on a draft for a new book. He was the one who could always help her when she was in a slump.

"What would he say?" she muttered to herself.

She wandered around a few minutes more, taking the stairs to the clear window wall on the second floor. Popping in her ear buds and cranking up the music, she lay on one of the lounges and stared up at the ceiling. Things Cory would say filtered through her head as Big Bang thrummed through her ears.

"Use what you know."

"Show your own experience."

"Be proactive."

"Use someone they know."

She couldn't do the second one. Her experience was ranked out the wazoo. No one wanted to know how many partners she'd had in the last fifteen years. It would make grandparents curse her and want to do an exorcism.

Frustrated beyond all belief, Hana stood and wandered a bit more. Her mind was reeling but she couldn't grasp a single thought that made a lick of sense. Things just weren't going her way today. Traditionally sex had just been used a familial thing, only to keep the family line going. Now many young unmarried couples were okay sleeping together before marriage. Not all couples appealed to the baser instincts, but it was a growing trend. Not quite like overseas, but still relevant.

Her wandering took her to the conference rooms on the third floor. The door to the main conference room was wide open and Won was sitting at the head with the six men from earlier. He looked haggard and worn out. Hana wheeled around and went to the coffee shop around the corner. She had snagged the coffee preferences from the secretarial pool by chance and grabbed some pastries as well. It was nearing eleven thirty and anyone would be caffeine deprived.

She could hear them arguing when she returned. Without even thinking about it, she marched right into the conference room and sat down her purchases. Unfazed by the snarky look Won gave her, she unloaded the two drink carriers and pastry box. Won yanked the left ear bud out and pulled her to eye level. She tried very hard not to laugh, but the look in his dark eyes was way too entertaining to pass up. She dropped her head and laughed at him.

"Still jamming out to BTS?" he asked as he dropped the ear bud.

She shook her head. "Not this time. It's actually Imfact."

Won shook his head. "Thanks for the coffee. We were starting to get irritated with each other over these photos."

He took the lid off the cup then took a sip. "Why don't you look at them? It would be a lot of help to have someone who has a blank canvas."

Hana leaned over his shoulder and looked at the pictures. They were for the newest advertisement the company in which the company was about to partake. They were trying to get common people (Won's term) to come to Jeguk Group's secluded condos and hotels. The business adventure with one of the major hotels overseas had gone belly up and they were trying to make back the profits they had once had.

These pictures encapsulated what the company was about. Two brothers ran the company. Two brothers who had been at odds now worked together for one goal. Two brothers who were married and happy with their lives. Two brothers who were fundamentally the same but emotionally different.

Two brothers.

Hana grabbed a pen and the empty chair by Won and started doodling. Though there were seven men sitting around her, she didn't feel anything but the rush of adrenaline as her hand took on a life of its own. The pen was simply the extension that brought to life the pictures in her head. Some people were gifted with words, some could speak well. Then there were people like her who could express themselves with pictures.

Her hand moved on its own accord. Before she knew it, there were two people. Two brothers on the front page and sisters on the second. The third was a picture of the hotel and the lake behind it. She turned it around and chewed on the cap of the pen as the men looked at it.

"Explain." Won kept his eyes on the pictures.

"Siblings. Brothers and sisters. You want to promote a family atmosphere. Start with siblings," she explained.

She pointed at the picture with the females. "Sisters get married, have children, and rarely spend time with each other due to family time. Your hotel has a spa to rival any spa in the counter. Use any means necessary to get siblings – mainly sisters – to the spa. As for brothers, what man doesn't like things that go fast? Use the drag racing strip to your advantage."

"What if they want to relax?" the man with the slicked back hair asked.

"Then let them relax. You want it to be upscale and a family place but you aren't letting families who are less fortunate than yourselves go there. Change that. If you change the status quo, you change the life of someone."

"Airfare?" Won asked. "Included not included?"

"Included. They'll need money for food but everything else is incorporated."

He tossed the papers back on the table and looked at her. "You tore apart an entire presentation in one minute. Do you know how hard they worked on this?"

"Probably the same amount of time I spent on the one presented this morning. And thank you for liking it." The six men nodded at her thanks.

Won touched his tongue to his top lip. "How's your ad pitch coming along?"

That elicited a response. Hana dropped her head to her arm long enough to make a disgusted noise. She made a face at him when she propped her cheek on her arm.

"Did I tell you what the topic is?" she asked. By the twitch of his lip, he knew. "Don't start with me."

"Losing inspiration?"

"No! Advertising is just not the same here as it is in the U.S. I have to be careful with what I do."

Won nodded as he thought about it. "Keep in mind who you're targeting. People our age are the ones you need to target."

She made another face at him. "I'm thirty-four. Women my age are already married with four kids."

"You'd be married with four kids if you could keep your life together." Hana shook her head at him as she stood up. "Hana, you should greet your new partner."

"I forgot about that," she sighed. She wheeled around. "Which one is he?"

The man on the far left side stood and bowed to her. He was shorter than she was but he was stout. He looked a little nervous, but when he spoke, it was easy and smooth.

"Hello. I'm Jeon Minwoo. I took those photos," he said. Her mouth parted slightly as she stared at the pictures. "It's okay. I appreciate honest feedback."

She smiled at his easy smile. "I'm Lee Hana, resident graphic artist. I look forward to working with you."

She said her goodbyes and disappeared out the door.

* * *

Hyo Shin was sitting behind the mic when there was a rap at the window. He looked up to see Kim Tan smiling at him. He held up a finger. There was only fifteen minutes left in his show so Tan could wait.

They had been friends growing up. Tan had gone overseas when he had been in middle school and had returned when he was a junior in high school. He knew all about Tan's past with his family. He was the illegitimate son of the former CEO of Jeguk Group, and that had caused a huge stir when he had been showed to the public as such. Tan had taken it well, much better than Hyo Shin had when his parents had tried to force him into becoming a lawyer.

Tan was one of the few friends that knew of his sister's ways. The son of Jeguk had actually kept an eye on her when she had been in school. Not that Hana had needed it but it had made Hyo Shin feel better.

When the show ended, he walked out to the waiting room and took a seat with a heavy sigh. Tan handed him a cup of coffee, and they sat side by side drinking quietly. They had had many moments like this; quiet peace that had made it easier to deal with things. His attempt at suicide was the one thing they never needed to discuss. One because it was in the past, and two because his sister still didn't know about it. She had her own worries, and adding to it wasn't something Hyo Shin wanted to do. Besides, she would go after their mother if she knew, and that relationship was already on the tipping point. Hana was happy but her temper was violent when she really lost it.

"I saw Hana Noona when I was leaving," Tan said. "She seems to be extremely happy."

"You would never know it if you saw her at home," Hyo Shin muttered.

"Is she still seeing that American dude?"

Hyo Shin tipped his cup to his mouth. "I wouldn't call it see exactly."

Tan laughed. "She's still like that huh? I beat your parents love it."

"They're thrilled beyond belief. Both children are not married with children, and they're not lawyers."

His friend smiled. "That's all in the past, Hyung. You're doing well here, and Noona is doing well with her job. Even if she is in many elicit affairs."

Hyo Shin shook his head. "Actually the only person she hasn't dated has been Cory. It blows my mind. I don't know if they love each other or just like being together."

Tan made a face. "I'd say they like each other since they sleep together on a regular basis. You don't sleep with someone unless you like her."

He couldn't argue with that. Cory cared for his sister like no one he had ever seen before. He knew things even Hyo Shin didn't, like the positions of her tattoos. Their lives had been interconnected for years.

"I think you should know," Tan continued. Hyo Shin looked at him mid-sip. "Hyung has teamed up with Alpha Advertising. They're working on the new pitch for the hotels in Jeju, Incheon and Japan. There are six men heading that project and Hyung is about to toss Hana Noona right in the mix."

"She can handle herself." Hyo Shin didn't miss the dry look he received. "She's so picky she won't jump on one of them immediately. She'll feel it out first."

Tan didn't look convinced but he let it ride. Everyone at work knew Hana's preferences but they didn't say anything. Even Won had taken to defending her whenever he needed to. Most CEO's would have said screw you and let their employees rot. But Won actually liked Hana and her crazy ways. It was just a matter of time before she took it too far.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: The Heirs is not a popular fanfiction tv show, but I still enjoy writing for it. It gives me a nice break from BoF. I also have another one that's almost complete. I just have to type it up and finish it.

* * *

"Hey! Hana-ssi!"

Sighing, the woman lifted her head and looked around the oblong table. She frowned considerably as she dropped her head again, nuzzling it around the crook of her arm long enough to get comfortable again.

She had stayed up late again. Actually, she had stayed up all night. This time it had been at the office instead of at home. It made more sense to her to stay at the office. Hyo Shin wouldn't be getting home until two and he would have wanted to sleep. She was still working on the pitch that had nothing to do with Jeguk's hotels.

She was glad she had spent the entire night in her office. Four boxes of condoms had been delivered to her while she had been at lunch that day and had thankfully been wrapped in a nondescript paper. No one had known what it was. More rumors would have flown around if they had seen it so she'd had kept it under lock and key. She had drawn the blinds to her office and had set to work with everything.

She was more than aware of what she was playing with. And she did play with it. She was curious by nature, and having four different styles of latex was way too tempting. She did her best to figure out everything she could before she even put pen to paper. She stretched them as far as they would go until they broke. The thinner ones were weaker she found out. It made her strangely sad.

But don't be mistaken. She hadn't spent all night playing with condoms. Nope. It had been much worse. She had staked out a love hotel for inspiration. She had watched couples go in and out to see how long couples would stay. Out of the three couples she had tracked, the longest couple had lasted for nearly two hours. That had spurned more questions and she had returned to her office to experiment some more.

Unfortunately all of that had taken all night. She had been selected to start working with the six new people on a new project. Usually she could stay awake, but running around the cold February night had really drained her. Even coffee couldn't keep her awake. As soon as she had stepped into the conference room, she had felt groggy and heavy. She wasn't getting sick, but her eyes didn't want to stay open.

Her head had hit the table almost immediately and she had gone to sleep. She had heard everything Eric had said, but none of it had made any sense. He was back tracking on everything that had been discussed yesterday morning with Won. She could understand he wanted to start fresh, but that wasn't the way.

Cranky and all sorts of groggy, she lifted her head some more and propped it up on her hand. She stared at him, and he stared right back. Across from her, she could see the short blond headed man start to laugh. From what she had garnered from these men in the last twenty minutes, they were close friends but Eric was in charge, and they listened to what he had to say. That was all fine and dandy, but that hadn't met her before. She didn't listen to anybody when she knew a better way to do something.

"Are you with us now?" he demanded.

"Are you done yelling at me?" she shot back. She rubbed her face so she missed his face turn indignant. "This is not the way I'm used to working."

"Well, get used to it. It's the way we work," Eric stated. Hana frowned at him then stood up. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you. I have all the notes."

She left the room without thinking too much about it. As soon as she got back to her office, she dropped into her chair and let her head hit the wooden desk rather hard. It gave her a headache but the rest of her hurt more than her head. Sighing, she settled into a familiar pose.

The peace and quiet didn't last long. Someone knocked on the door before opening it and waltzing right on in. One of the boxes moved on her desk and she rolled her head by her chin but didn't lift it. She didn't need to. There were only two people who just randomly picked things up off her desk.

"Go away, Won-ah," she growled and put her head back down.

"You stayed up all night again didn't you?" He didn't even mention that she had told her boss what to do. "Next time let me know and I'll relay the information to the others."

Figuring out she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, Hana sat up and pressed her head to her chair. She swiveled from side to side as she watched Won go through her papers. He was the only one in the company allowed to do so. Not because he was her boss, but because she didn't really care what he thought. He always went with her ideas because he knew how good she was. That and she could always make people buy products simply by looking at her advertising.

"I think you're on to something. You obviously can't add your own experiences but if you find something they can relate to, this will be much easier on you," he said.

"There's only one problem," she countered.

"What is that?"

"The quality of the latex sucks. I've never had one break, but these give way with the slightest force. Even the thickest version of this brand shattered after two or three thrusts."

Won frowned. "How did you even test that theory?"

"A lot of bananas and pens."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Think about it."

He didn't have to rethink things to understand what she was getting at. Just knowing her made it easy for him to guess what she had done. She must have thought the same thing because she threw the stapler at him.

"Not like that you dumbass." She held her hand up in the shape of a zero. He understood instantly. "I'm too tired to explain anything more to you."

"I need you to not be so weird," he stated.

"Give me a couple of hours and I'll be back to my usual self."

Won considered that. "That's not a bad idea. Your usual self is not as insane as your tired self."

She agreed with him. "I'm stupid tired right now."

He walked around the desk. She closed her eyes as his hand cupped her forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"That's because I'm not overworked. I just stayed up all night."

"Take the day to sleep a bit. I'll check in on you in an hour or so."

Hana watched him leave her office, pulling the door closed quietly behind him. Even though she was seriously tired, she wasn't able to go back to sleep like she wanted. Her eyes itched so she took her contacts out in hopes that would ease the irritation.

After twenty minutes of fighting it, she gave up and left her office in search of something that would warm her up and hopefully wake her up. She hadn't eaten and hoped that once she did, she would be sleepy enough to lay down and rest for a bit. She usually got very mean when she was sleepy.

The coffee shop around the corner was very packed at this time of day. So instead of waiting in line, she sat down and watched the people pass her by. She wasn't in any hurry. Won wouldn't be back for an hour. She had time.

She was sitting at the table closest to the restrooms when she spotted a familiar face. It was the photographer, Minwoo. She looked him up and down, inspecting every area of him. He was a good looking man, and from the way he talked to the person ahead of him, he was very carefree. He had a nice eye smile and smile lines that told her he had fun whenever he could.

He happened to turn around. He saw and waved at her. She waved back with the friendliest smile she could muster. He pointed at the menu in question. She shook her head, but he insisted. Somehow they communicated her order. Within ten minutes, he was sitting across from her with two drink carriers. His smile was even better in person than across the room. He spun one of the boxes around then handed her a cup.

"Not everyone talks to Eric that way," he quipped.

"And no one yells at me," she defended.

He smiled. "Your personality is fun."

"Until I get frustrated with something."

"Fair enough." He took a drink of his coffee then propped his chin in his hand. "You didn't sleep last night did you?"

Hana looked at him. Only three people were able to tell that she was running on sleep, and none of them were here. How could he tell all of that without having to ask? It unnerved her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I have to get these back to the office. Do you want to walk together?" he asked.

Without thinking about it, she nodded and they went back to the office. They didn't talk but it wasn't uncomfortable. He was surprisingly spry on his feet, keeping up with her long strides easily.

Eric and the others were in the lobby when they arrived back. Hana shot him a dirty look then headed for the elevator. She wasn't dealing with him.

Minwoo watched the woman walk casually away from them, heels clicking simply on the tiled floor. No matter what Eric said, she was actually very nice and respectable. She had just had a rough night.

* * *

The four of them were relaxed for the first time in weeks. They hadn't met in a very long while. Life had been the hardest thing for them to master so they had postponed their weekly meetings for time that would be best used to work.

Hana sat between a blond headed woman and a grey headed man. They shared drinks and food like it was going out of style. Cory was running late, but that wasn't unusual for him. He did run a company after all.

The woman on the other side of Hana made the other half of the female unit of their group. Min Rise was a manhwa artist and Hana's college roommate. She was half-Japanese and half-Korean and spoke both languages fluently. She was an excellent artist and had really found her niche in the world. She sold more books overseas than she did at home, but that was okay with her because she loved to travel.

The fourth person in their insane group was Park Daehyun

He and Hana had met on the plane going to America. They had struck up a conversation that had last until they had landed. Then they had found out they were in the same school. And that friendship had lasted forever. He was close friends with Cory and they did everything together. Both of them were contracted with Cory's publishing company so it kept them all together.

"Is Hyo Shin coming?" Rise asked. Her speech slurred a little bit. She was really fond of the younger man. Sometimes Hana thought she was going to jump her younger brother.

"He's bringing Rachel with him," Hana answered.

Daehyun scowled deeply. "Why does she have to ruin the mood?"

"I don't think anything can ruin your mood. You're already blitzed as it is."

He smiled and leaned his head on her. His bright honey eyes were already bloodshot. He had started long before they had even met at the club. Hana was the oldest out of them while Daehyun was the youngest. Nearly a year separated them but you would never know by the way they acted. There was no honorifics with them. It was all very casual, and that was the way they liked it.

"You two seem very cozy." They looked up at Cory as he set his bag on the chair beside Rise. "Sorry I'm late. I had an unexpected meeting."

"It's all right. You can help me monitor the drunken heathens," Hana laughed. But the smile disappeared instantly when she saw someone she was already on awful terms with. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Cory looked up and scrunched up his nose. "Sorry. I should have told you. Eric kind of invited himself and his friends. I take it you don't like him that much."

"She's the one who walked out of our meeting," Eric said.

"He's the one who yelled at me," she retorted.

The younger man looked between the two of them. "Oh, this is going to be interesting."

"Daehyun-ah."

Attention was diverted for the time being. Hana recognized the other five behind Eric and realized that the third one was talking to her friend. Daehyun gratefully lifted his head and for a moment became sober.

"Hyung! What are you doing here?"

The man sat down beside him and ruffled his hair, hitting Hana's face with his finger in the process. "It seems I still can't leave you alone for very long in a club. Stop being a burden to your friend."

"He used to sleep like this all the time. I'm quite used to it," Hana defended.

The man smiled at her. "We didn't get a chance to meet this morning. I'm Park Dongwan. I'm the art director for Alpha Advertising. Daehyun is my little brother."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Hana."

"All this could have been handled at the office if someone hadn't slept all through the meeting," Eric remarked.

Cory couldn't stop his older brother's remarks. Instead he took Hana's hand and casually led her out onto the dance floor. It was an easy fix and he could get her to talk without his brother or his friends commenting. Rise and Daehyun weren't the type to say anything since they had been with them for nearly fifteen years. But those who didn't know the circumstances would tear Hana apart.

Minwoo watched silently as the two people danced and talked. Cory was that woman's confidant. Anyone who had eyes could see that. He was also very physical with her. His hands were low on her waist as he guided her through the steps of whatever dance they had. He spun her around so he could talk in her ear without having to yell. She seemed at ease with him.

When he had gone into her office that afternoon to ask her to accompany him to a client's office, he had been surprised to find her steadily working on whatever project she had going on at the time. She had been focused, glasses settled low on her nose. Her fingers had moved swiftly on the paper then on the computer. She had been quiet and focused, much unlike her earlier demeanor.

But now she was focused on one person. Cory was the only thing she saw and that made it difficult to get anywhere near her.

When the song ended, the atmosphere had changed. Hana was calm as she sat down and talked with the others in the group. Finally, Hyo Shin showed up with Rachel. Dressed to kill in a short skirt with suede booties, she looked like she had been at the nail salon for too long.

"Sorry we're late," Hyo Shin apologized. "Someone wasn't ready when I showed up."

Hana tilted her head. "I thought you were working tonight?"

He shook his. "I switched shifts with Eun Sang."

"Jun Jin Oppa?" Rachel said.

Hyo Shin and Hana looked at each other before Hana laughed. Things were about to get interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Hana gripped Cory's back as she rode him hard. They had barely made it into his house before he had pinned her against the wall. Life had been stressful for the both of them. Cory had had three books go to print this week and he had hope like hell that they would sell well. Hana was still struggling over her condom ad and wasn't having any inspiration. So he had called and told her to meet him at his house.

As soon as they had walked in the door, their clothes had come off and they had hit the couch. Cory lived alone so it didn't matter if his roommate came home. They could be naked for however long they wanted.

Cory's mouth was all over the place. Her skin burned with every touch he made. His teeth left little nicks and redness. He tipped her head back as he nibbled on her skin under her chin. His hips kept pushing upwards, driving his girth deeper and deeper into her.

He turned and put her back on the leather. Gathering his knees under him, he braced himself over her and pumped harder and harder into her. Her fingernails scraped along her chest, catching his nipples in one swift motion. She rose to meet him, driving him deeper.

This was a twice weekly occurrence lately. Since things had been stressful for them, they had met to relieve it. The most cramped place they had been had been the backseat of his car two days ago. Luckily it had been late at night and no one had been coming in. Plus, he had parked in the far corner under a light that didn't work. No one would see the car shaking. He hadn't finished there. He had waited until they were in his house.

Tonight had been a little easier to bear. They had let the door shut somewhat before things had gotten heated.

Cory buried his head in her neck as he positioned his hands under her shoulders and pulled her roughly against him as he lifted his hips higher and higher. He felt her quiver around him as pleasure rocked through him. He could feel his own release imminent. He pushed faster and faster, bringing things to a fever pitch.

"Shit!" He pulled away from her quickly and dashed to the bathroom.

Hana couldn't move for a long while. She lay on the couch, halfway listening to Cory's plight in the bathroom. Her own breathing drowned out his curses, and she closed her eyes as she came down off her high.

"Hana, I know how you can fix your designs," he said when he turned.

She looked at him as he sat down in the floor. He wasn't shy about being naked in front of her. Looking down, she could see he was still erect but was waning quickly.

"What?" she asked.

"Those condoms don't last. The materials aren't strong enough to last for a healthy male," he answered. He picked up the empty package and stared at the materials. "Whatever they diluted the latex makes it weaker. Maybe you should contact the manufacturer."

"I've tried. No one returns my calls. Now that we know for sure they don't last, I'll talk to Won about canceling the contract. We were lied to and he's not going to like that."

Cory agreed and stood up. He returned to the couch and wiggled his way behind Hana. He covered them up and pressed her head into his neck. He felt her breath starting even out and figured now would be good a time as any to tell her.

"Hyung says Minwoo has been asking about you," he whispered. He felt her tired chest heave and she shifted her head. "I think he may like you."

"No," she argued. It came out as a tired gasp but it was there.

He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere any time soon with it. She hadn't slept in three days and she was coming down off a sexual high. She wasn't even equipped to handle it right now. So he left her alone to sleep off everything that had accrued over the last few days.

* * *

Won was livid as Hana knew he would be. He had made the call himself and had cancelled the contract. He hadn't asked how Hana had known that the material was faulty but he trusted her enough to cancel when she said to do so.

She spent the morning standing on the roof watching the traffic pass by below and taking in the cool air. This was annoying. She had poured two weeks into that project only to have it scrapped. Life wasn't fair some days and today was just that day.

She heard laughter and turned around to see the new team wander up the stairs with Chan Young at the helm. He was talking their ears off and seemed to get along well with the men. He had always been the type to do so. That's what made him so much fun to be around.

Hana picked each man out. Dongwan she had met at the club and he had been completely nice. Jun Jin, the tall one behind him, turned out to be Rachel's old flame when Hyo Shin had been in military. He was always ready for a laugh and a funny dance of some sort. He was the manager for this group and he did a good job of it.

Behind him was Hyesung. He was the only man she hadn't met personally. He was quiet and seemed to be reserved but behind that façade she knew he was an intelligent man. He worked closely with Chan Young as they helped their respective teams come to some sort of agreement.

"Noona!" he exclaimed when he saw her.

She smiled at his happy face as he walked over to her quickly. To say she loved this man was not a lie. He was good to her when she put him in tough situations. When he stopped beside her, her handed her his canned coffee.

"You look cold," he remarked with a frown.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"I heard your deal went belly up," Eric enticed.

"Don't start with me," she warned. "I'm not in any mood to deal with your attitude."

"Noona," Chan Young whined. He reached for her face but she brushed him off. "You're not sick are you?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm not sick. Just frustrated."

The young man nodded. "I would have given you all of the specification on the product before asking you to make an ad for them to save themselves."

"How did you find out they didn't work?" Jun Jin asked.

Hana snorted. "How else do you find out if one doesn't work or not? You use it."

Annoyed, she strode past them without another word. Her head hurt and she was about to go crazy. This was the first project she had ever had to cancel and it was eating at her. She didn't want to be known as the graphic designer who sent back work. So far she hadn't, but it only took one time for a rumor to spread.

She had enough rumors about her going around as it was. There were so many she couldn't decipher them all. She put up a good front that she was okay but sometimes it hurt to hear what the other women said. That's why she was happy to have Rise and Daehyun. They didn't care what her reputation was, and Cory was a newbie so it didn't matter.

Frustration level way past tolerable, Hana sat down on the top step of the and pressed her eyes to her knees. She was tired, drained and getting cranky. Cory had gone to the States to visit his mother and was doing work from home. Hyo Shin was asleep because he worked night and she didn't want to disturb him.

She heard someone stop behind her and fabric was draped around her shoulders. A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up and down the stairs. She grabbed the edges of the jacket and held on as she followed him through the hallway. She wasn't in the mood to argue, and fighting would just bring people running.

So she stayed quiet and followed. The only thing she did was turn her wrist so she could hold his hand. His tightened and he pulled her closer. They walked through the company, making sure they took the hallways less traveled. Finally they took the stairwell until they were outside the building.

She had left her bag in her office and wished she had gone back for a different pair of shoes instead of her heels. But she was in no mood to argue. It felt good not to make any decisions and just go along with the flow. Everyone she knew was weird and a bit out there, but no one really knew how hard she planned things out. All they ever saw was her running around like a lunatic. Right now in this very moment she felt extremely happy.

They stopped at the traffic light right in front of the company. Hana saw the side of Minwoo's face and smiled a little. Cory had been right, but she wasn't going to tell him. he had never made a point of being jealous and she didn't want him to start now. Besides it was his fault for telling her.

Minwoo looked at her, a gentle smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He turned fully to her and pulled at the collar of the jacket. He buttoned the top button to make sure it kept her face covered. Satisfied, he took her hand again and led her across the street.

They went to a nondescript coffee shop six blocks over. No one would know them. No one would know that two people in Jeguk were hiding due to one person's incompetence.

Minwoo put her back to the door as they took at the far side of the café. He looked up a couple of times but settled down when he realized they were safe and alone. Only then did he sit beside her. Hana wasn't used to it. He gently rested her face against his shoulder as one arm slipped around her shoulder.

"It's just us. No one will see," he whispered.

Seven simple words, but Hana knew what he was talking about. She couldn't help it. The waterworks started before she could even stop them. She turned her face into his neck and did her best not to sob. Things had been so hard, and it didn't help that Cory had left for two weeks. Hyo Shin was either working , tutoring, or with Rachel. He barely had any time to come home or talk. Rise and Daehyun were locked away working on their newest projects. Hana was truly alone.

Just this one simple thing had made her day and had broken her resolve all at the same time. She couldn't stop it. Not even if she tried.

Minwoo nodded at the server as she set their drinks on the table. She started to ask what was wrong but he shook his head. No one needed to know what was going on. It was no one else's business.

It took several minutes for her to calm down. Minwoo sat there patiently, quietly lending support without saying a word or knowing what was wrong. He was strong when she couldn't be.

She was drawn out of her stupor when his phone rang. He fumbled around in his pocket to find it, trying his best to keep from moving so he didn't disturb her.

"Ah, Hyesung-ah. I had to run an errand. No I don't know when I'll be back. This may take a little bit. Mmhmm. I'll bring coffee back when I come. All right." He hung up and looked at her. "They know you're gone as well. I didn't tell them anything, but Won-ssi is mad that you won't answer his calls."

"I left my phone," she muttered. Her voice was thick with unshed tears.

Minwoo sighed and turned fully to her. He lifted his hands and rubbed her eyes gently. Then he took a napkin and dabbed at the running makeup. He took his time, making sure every last bit of mascara was nonexistent.

"There," he sighed. "Now no one will know."

Hana sighed a little then pointed at the cup sitting in front of him. He slid it over and watched as she took a drink. The warmth of the Styrofoam calmed her and helped her find some sort of balance.

"Thank you," she managed to get out.

"You looked like you were struggling on the roof. I didn't know what else to do," he said. "I don't know what you usually do to ease your tension, but this is the least I can do."

"Thank you."

Minwoo leaned his head back on the booth and took a deep drink of his cooled drink. "Any time you're feeling like you're crumbling, you can always come talk to me. I may not know how to help but I can talk my way through things. I can try to figure it out."

Hana nodded into the cup as she stared straight ahead. "I don't think you should get involved with me."

He looked at her. "Why? Because your reputation sucks? Because you don't follow anyone's rules but your own? That's not a reason to push someone away."

"It's not that my reputation sucks. It's not the greatest, but it's not totally in the gutter."

"Then what is it?"

She sighed. "There's a reason the ad was given to me. It's not because they're my favorite things to advertise. It's because I use them frequently. I know which ones are good and which ones aren't."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** It took me last night and today to write this. I didn't know how well it would turn out.

* * *

Minwoo watched Hana, Hyesung and Chan Young as they argued over the back drop for the photo shoot. They were supposed to be working together but that was obviously not going to happen.

The woman across the room had perked up in the last few days. Won had given her something new to work on when she wasn't helping them. After a lot of deliberation, Eric had convinced the CEO that Hana would only be an "as needed help". It meant they still didn't get along. Not that it matter. Hana hadn't done anything to Eric, but her carefree attitude clashed with his by the book one. Only Minwoo knew that the woman wasn't as spontaneous as everyone believed.

Chan Young and Hana finally ganged up on Hyesung and made the decision of the background. Chan Young hovered as his female counterpart slipped to the back of the studio. She pulled a tablet and stylus from her bag and began sketching. She was focused wholly on her work because she had nothing else to do except work.

Minwoo turned his personal camera on the woman and snapped several quick shots. She was a very candid person. Her hair fell across her left shoulder as her right one moved in time with her hand. Did she know what she looked like while sitting away from every one.

She pushed at her hair as she looked over work. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as she nitpicked at what she had just produced. Her mouth slipped sideways as she found something she didn't really like. She didn't realize what she was doing. And if she did, she didn't care.

Chan Young stepped in front of her and passed her a cup. He had her complete attention and told her what was going on. She scratched her nose with her stylus as she scrunched it. She shook her head at whatever he was saying but didn't say anything to rectify whatever it was.

"She's not your type." Eric walked up to him. "She has particular tastes that not many know how to fulfill."

Minwoo knew what he was trying to get at. "I know she likes to have sex, Eric. She pretty much told me the other day. It's why she hasn't talked to me."

Eric seemed impressed that he knew but it rubbed Minwoo the wrong way. He should have just left it alone. But Eric was very concerned about things when it concerned his friends. They had all known each other since they had been in high school. They had decided to go into business together and had done well. Eric was technically in charge but everyone had a say.

Usually they kept their personal lives to themselves but every now and then they had to say something. Minwoo had been single for the last several years so it had been him who had told his friends what he had thought. Now he was on the opposite side of that fence.

"I'm not concerned about her reputation, not that I have ever heard anything," he added.

"That's because she fights back. She doesn't bow her head and say 'I'm sorry.' That woman fights back with every fiber of her being."

"Appa!"

They both looked up at the woman's outburst. She walked over to a man, and they were surprised to see Attorney General Lee Chan Hyuk hug her. She looked just like him so it was easy to tell they were related. They talked briefly then he handed her a manila folder. Chan Young bowed and talked briefly to the older man before he took the manila folder from his team leader and disappeared.

Hana led her father around the studio to show him what she had been working on. He seemed impressed and the smile on his face showed it. She even showed him her personal sketch pad. The older man touched his daughter's shoulder in appreciation and she beamed at him.

"Appa, these are the men we are working with for this campaign. Jeon Minwoo, Eric Woo, Park Dongwan, Andy Hwang, Min Hyesung, and Kwon Jun Jin. They've been asked by Won to help get the new adventures out there," she explained. She rubbed her hand when he swatted it. "What?"

"Don't call him Won. He is your CEO. Call him such," he scolded.

"His name is Won. I will call him Won."

Chan Hyuk turned his attention to the men and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I know she can be a handful when she's excited about something."

Eric smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. She's very intelligent and has a good eye." He held back a laugh when Hana scowled at him. They all did. The two people hated each other.

"Excuse me." They turned to see Rachel and Hyo Shin wander through. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Lee."

"Rachel, are you taking care of my son?" Chan Hyuk asked as he hugged the young woman.

"As much as he will let me." She missed the nudge and crazy look Hana shot her younger brother. Hyo Shin retaliated by pinching her side. "I'm in charge of the clothes for this particular shoot. It's an honor to work with a famed advertising company."

Hana snorted. "You're just excited to be working with someone older than you."

"Noona!" Hyo Shin protested.

"Lee Hana," her father scolded. She shrugged and fended off Hyo Shin's next attack. It ended with them wandering across the studio. "Seven years separate them but they get along well. They've always gotten along well."

"Eonni does her best to make me feel awkward," Rachel stated.

Chan Hyuk nodded with a smile. "She does that to everyone. It's her way of showing that she likes you."

He looked at the others and excused himself. Minwoo watched the siblings. Hyo Shin talked candidly with his sister across the room. They looked so much alike they could be twins. Hana teetered a moment but Hyo Shin steadied her with a laugh. Her smile was just as warm as she talked to him.

Minwoo wondered if Hyo Shin knew exactly what his sister was going through. Did he know how she felt? Did he know her lifestyle? Did he know she felt isolated? She couldn't just tell anyone what was eating at her, so she held on until she lost it.

"Hyung, I brought the tripod for you." This time it was Cory. He nodded at everyone in welcome then his eyes drifted to the siblings arguing across the studio. "What did Hyo Shin do this time?"

No one knew. They were still arguing when they rejoined the group. Hana was being obstinate about something and Hyo Shin wasn't having it.

"Do you even know what that means?" he demanded.

"Yes, Hyo Shin. I'm not stupid. I know exactly what it means. Do you know what it means?" she shot back.

Hyo Shin's face turned slightly stony as he looked back. "Those were my snacks and you ate them. You have to buy me more. Those are the ones I take with me to work."

Cory laughed. "That's what you're fighting over? A stupid sibling fight over food?"

The young man turned that look to him. "Don't start with me. I know you're also behind it."

Hana shook her head. "He's been out of town and just got back this morning. I picked him up at the airport before I came here. The other culprit would be Daehyun. He's been drunk the last few nights."

"Daehyun oppa doesn't have to be drunk to eat," Rachel tossed out.

The older woman laughed. "You're right about that."

"Hana " Cory's voice was cold, almost dripping ice.

She looked up at him and he slightly motioned to her to come over. She didn't argue with him, sliding over in front of him. He took her wrist and pushed her behind him. Hyo Shin followed his gaze and looked over his shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes and took Rachel's hand.

"Do you want to leave?" Cory asked over his shoulder.

Hana shook her head. "No. I'll be fine."

"Noona, you can slip out," Hyo Shin agreed. He kept drumming his fingers against the back of Rachel's hand.

Sighing, Hana stepped back from Cory. "Minwoo, we have work to do."

Minwoo didn't argue. Tapping Hyesung, he followed the woman to the camera and listened to her spit out verbatim what they had discussed earlier about the shots.

* * *

Alone again, Hana stared at the Han River not really seeing the dark eddies as they moved under the surface. Photo shoots took forever and ripped a little piece of her soul every time. But it wasn't the job that had her unnerved.

She hadn't expected him to be there. She had changed her number because of him and luck would have it that she ran into him there. Cory and Hyo Shin had nearly gone to jail because of him. And yet he was still there.

Chaebols who beat women shouldn't be allowed to live. That had been Cory's statement that night when he had talked to the police.

That night replayed in her head every time she met a new man. She felt the phantom pains every time she talked to someone with an easy smile and a glass tongue. It made it hard for her to meet anyone that Cory or Won didn't know. It was one of the reasons that kept her going back to Cory for reprieve of stress. She didn't trust anyone else.

She ignored the phone as it rang for the nineteenth time. Between Hyo Shin and Cory, she hadn't gotten a moment's reprieve since the shoot had ended.

Getting up from her bench, Hana growled at the phone that hadn't stopped vibrating. People obviously didn't get the hint that she didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't even want to think about anyone.

She finally just got mad at the unfortunate person to call her last. Swiping right she answered the phone.

"What?" she demanded.

"Where are you?"

She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. She didn't recognize the number, and that concerned her. "Who is this?" she'd asked.

"Minwoo. Where are you?"

"The Han River. Where are you?"

"The office. Meet me halfway?"

"Where would that be?"

He was quiet on the other end and she could hear him clicking on his computer. "There's a restaurant near where you are. Do you want to meet there?"

She shook her head as she walked towards the Main Street. "I'm not really hungry."

He snorted on the other end. "You barely ate today. You have to be hungry."

"I'm not. And if you're going to annoy me, I'm going to hang up."

"Hold on!" She put the phone back to her ear. "I'll text you my address. Just come to my house and I'll make you dinner."

"Minwoo-yah."

He laughed. "Since when did we get on familiar terms?"

Hana was getting frustrated. "Hey!"

"Sorry. I'll see you in a few minutes."

He didn't give her time to say no he hung up and the next thing she knew his address was in her phone messages.

She had been sighing a lot lately. This was a good reason. But she wasn't going to get out of it. Won had probably given him her number and he was even more persistent than her brother and Cory.

He was true to his word. As soon as she walked up to his building, Minwoo walked around the corner. She didn't even have time to turn around before he saw her. He took her hand and led her upstairs.

She looked around the house as soon as they arrived. It was a typical house. One bedroom and one bath with a massive living room. It looked like he had painstakingly took care of it. She could barely her own home.

"You didn't just ask me here for food, did you?" she asked.

Minwoo shook his head and waited by the kitchen. She was right. He hadn't asked her to his place so she could eat. He figured she needed something else, something that lasted longer than food might.

She dropped her bag to the couch and her jacket followed. He watched her expressions. She wasn't scared or nervous. She was curious and that could always make things interesting.

He let her come to him. He wasn't going to rush her. If he did, she would run. He didn't want that. So he watched her come slowly to him. She reached for his hands first, trailing her hands up his arms then down his chest and sides. He let her do what she wanted, taking pleasure in the look on her face.

Her cool fingers skimmed the warmth of his skin as she lifted his shirt. With it cast aside, she gave him a once over with her eyes before touching as much as she wanted. He didn't expect her mouth follow her hands as soon as it did. It lingered over one nipple as her fingers worked the other. Then she switched.

He picked her up, surprising her momentarily as she settled on the counter. He smiled up at her as his hands pulled at the material of her shirt. It would be easier to unbutton it after untucking it. He preoccupied her by claiming her mouth. She'd had her moment. Now it was his turn.

Hana didn't know what to focus on first. His hands were everywhere as his mouth worked wonders. Cory wasn't this skilled. She really shouldn't compare the two, but up until now, Cory had been the only one who could satisfy her needs. Now here was this man who knew what she liked without having to be told.

"Wait a minute," she barely got out.

Minwoo lifted his head and looked at her. He wasn't annoyed; simply curious about what was on her mind. She traced a finger under his eye then wiggled out from under him. He watched her walk across the room, hands deftly unzipping her skirt. He followed her with his eyes, uncertain of what she wanted him to do. She was an enigma.

She felt unsure when he didn't follow her. She looked back to see him standing by the counter. Embarrassment flooded her and she reached for the discarded piece of clothing. Before she could grab it, Minwoo swept her hand in his and spun her to the couch. She landed on top of him, staring down at a mischievous face.

He gripped the back of her head and pulled it down. This time his hands were gentle, fingers trailing down her back and eliciting slight tremors. His right hand easily unclasped her bra and he slid it from her shoulders. They were skin to skin now.

Hana was fully into it now. She didn't give him much time to think as she all but slithered down his body, leaving a trail of kisses and nips as she went. His belly heaved with sudden pleasure as she tugged on the waistband on his underwear. He gripped the couch as his hips shot upwards. She was being hateful now. Her mouth closed over him and it was all he could do to keep from attacking her.

She hadn't been kidding. She liked having sex and was good at it. She had a talented tongue as well as hand as she coaxed him higher and higher. He had to push at her head to get her to stop or their night was going to be cut short

She seemed to understand because she sat back and looked at him. Nothing coherent would come out of his mouth so he motioned to her figure. He was given a moment of reprieve when she slid off the couch to divest herself of the remaining articles of clothing. But she didn't come back to him immediately. Instead she paused a moment. Uncertainty was written clear on her face.

He watched her finally turn and go to her bag. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped. She looked surprised as she slowly made her way back to him. He shook his head and motioned for her to come to him.

"I'm laughing because I'm caught off guard. I should have believed you when you told me," he confessed. But the laughter didn't subside.

Hana ignored him and ripped the fool package open. Blowing in the end, she focused on the task at hand. She rolled the condom down him, stroking him to make sure the we're no bubbles in it.

"Hang on," Minwoo said.

She tilted her head at him. He pushed her up onto her knees and slithered down underneath her. His mouth found her, tongue lapping gently at her. She started falling backwards , but his hand caught her right between the shoulder blades. She held on to the back of the couch and tried not to lose all sense of reason.

Minwoo shifted again until he was directly under her. Then carefully he eased her down. He couldn't help the hiss that whispered out from between his teeth. She was scorching hot around him, and he had to move. But once again she surprised him. She gathered her legs underneath her and pushed upwards then fell back down. He let her control the rhythm until he understood what she wanted

Hana took it as easy as she could but she knew he wanted more. She gave it to him by dropping her knees to the couch and leaning forward. He wrapped his hands around her back and moved his hips as fast as he could. He could feel her trembling above him. Her arms went around his neck and she nuzzled his ear. Her breath came raggedly and along with a whimper. Her back arched and she sank her teeth into his collar bone as she shuttered against him.

He wanted to flip over but was too far gone to do so. It wouldn't help him in the least bit. Hana worked with him, driving him higher and higher until he all but exploded in pleasure.

They trembled together, wrapped in each other and sweat. Slowly Hana lifted her head and looked down at Minwoo. He had done everything he could to make sure she was comfortable and at ease. He had asked for permission and had only taken what she would give.

She ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. A contented smile settled over his mouth and he lifted his chin so he could kiss her. It was slow and tender, like he idolized her without even knowing her.

Minwoo gathered her to him and stood. He carried her to the shower and quickly cleaned them both. He enjoyed doing things for her. While in the shower, he helped her peak once more. By the time he carried her to the bed, she was worn out and sleepy.

He placed her on the far side of the bed and slid in beside her. She was already asleep by the time he settled down. So he watched her sleep before he too went under.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** I worked super hard on the last three chapters of Chef's Choice so this one kind of fell to the side. But it's flowing. I'm taking today off to figure out the rest of the way.

* * *

Minwoo turned the gas off and wiped his hands on a towel. He looked around the counters to see if he had missed anything. Satisfied he hadn't, he turned and looked through the bedroom door. He could see Hana's shoulders and one arm as she slept turned away from him.

She had been quiet all night, sleeping heavily and peacefully as soon as she had passed out. She hadn't even moved when he had gotten up to get a shower. He hadn't blamed her. He would have slept too.

Grabbing his camera, he eased over to the door and snapped a few pictures. He had a nice shot of her tattoo on her back as it slimmed along her hip bone. There was another one just above her hip line no one could see unless she was naked. He traced his finger across it briefly, pulling back when she shifted.

He round the bed and snapped a couple of pictures from his side. Her face was smeared with makeup because she had forgotten to take it off. But it wasn't bad. Just a little smeared on her cheeks and under her eyes. She looked peaceful, content.

He tucked his camera under his arm when her phone started ringing. She sighed sleepily as she fumbled under the pillow for it. Minwoo laughed and bit his thumbnail as she swiped her finger across the screen and answered.

"What?" she demanded.

"You didn't go home last night." It was an unfamiliar voice.

"No, I didn't. What do you want?" She was cranky having just woken up.

"Where are you? I'll pick you up."

"Forget it. I've got to come home and change anyway."

There was a slight pause on the other end. "Who did you sleep with?"

Hana sighed and turned over. "Cory-ah."

He laughed. "I get it. I'll meet you at the office with coffee and breakfast. You'll tell me everything then." He didn't give her time to argue because he hung up.

"Sorry," she said. "He usually calls when I don't go home."

Minwoo propped his head up on the bed. "Cory's the man you sleep with on a regular basis?" She nodded. "Sorry I kept you from him last night."

Hana heard the sadness in his voice and rolled over. She took his hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of it. "Do I look sorry?"

He shook his head. "That's not what I asked. Cory is the main person you sleep with. How often?"

"Four or five times a week. Six maybe. Our relationship has been in place since we were in college. That's been nearly fifteen years."

The conversation wasn't going to way she wanted it to. She sat up and covered herself up. She had never had to explain her relationship with Cory before. No guy she had ever dated or slept with had known about him. This time it was a double edged sword. Not only did he know about Cory, but Minwoo was Eric's friend. Eric who was Cory's older brother. Eric who worked at her company for the time being and who couldn't stand her. Eric also knew about her relationship with his brother, but he had never said anything because it hadn't bothered him. Minwoo was a different story.

Annoyed, Hana tossed the covers off and got out of the bed. Minwoo watched her leave the room and go next door, naked as the day she was born. She didn't care in the least bit, but he could tell she was upset.

He heard the toilet flush and saw her pad around the living room gathering her clothes. Her actions were rigid and slow, like she hurt to move. He didn't know what to do so he got up and wandered in after her. The photos came naturally. He couldn't help taking pictures of her even though she was completely naked. He was given a good view of all three tattoos.

She looked at him. Two completely different people, one fully clothed and the other fully naked, stared at each other. Minwoo snapped another one as she looked at him. No one was going to see these. This wasn't his work camera so they would be safe at home.

When she still didn't say anything, he crossed the room to and took her in his arms. He dropped a kiss to her mouth. She didn't know what to do so she held on to his elbows. She kept her eyes closed when he pulled back.

"We should get ready for work," he said.

"I think I'm taking the day off," she tossed out.

"Everyone will know something is up."

"Everyone already knows."

Minwoo watched her throw yesterday's clothes back on leave his house. He wasn't going to follow her. There was no need. She would just push him away again.

Her phone rang behind him. He looked between his room and the door. This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

Hana sat on the floor of the shower and let the hot water run over her. She was completely torn about what the hell she should be doing. Her life had taken a turn for the worse and she didn't know how to set it back on track.

On one hand she had Cory who she'd known for nearly fifteen years. They had gone through so many different things during school. He had been there during Hyo Shin's suicide attempt and the downfall when her sexual preferences came to light in Korea. He had been the one she turned to and told everything. He was her support.

On the other hand was Minwoo. He had come out of left field with his quiet support. She hadn't expected last night to come about. She hadn't expected him to be quiet and reassuring with simple touches and an easy escape. And yet he had. He had asked her permission before even touching her and had allowed her to do things her way and at her pace.

No one, not even Cory, had done that.

She knew for a fact that she was not in love with Cory. There was nothing about them that yelled love. They were best friends who slept together. It was a glorified friends with benefits relationship. They knew when they wanted to be touched and when they wanted to be left alone.

But Minwoo saw through everything she had put out. He didn't care that she wanted to be alone. He blew right through that door, knocking it off the hinges and leaving it hanging in the wind.

"Noona, are you in there?"

She looked at the door as her younger brother banged on the glass. Turing the water off, she stood up and grabbed a towel. After wrapping it around her, she ventured out into the living room. Luckily he was alone. Not that it mattered if Rachel was there or not.

Hyo Shin looked up at his sister's ragged appearance. Hana looked beaten, almost like her spirit had been broken. She slumped at the island as he cut the kimbap into pieces. She looked worn out and not really with it.

"Where did you stay last night?" he asked. She balanced her forehead on her fist and didn't answer. She didn't have to. He could see a new hickey on her neck, and there was another peeking out on her collar bone.

He slid the plate across to her. "I don't care where you were as long as you were safe and warm."

"Hyo Shin-ah," she said, "do you think Cory will be mad when he finds out who I was with?"

"Who were you with? Someone we know?" She nodded and pushed a slice around the plate. "Does Cory know him?"

She sighed. "Yeah."

"Do you think you made the decision based on the events of work yesterday?"

She looked up at him, mouth now hiding behind her hand. "Are you talking about Nam So Jin?" He nodded solemnly. "That had nothing to do with it?"

"Noona." It was a soft call, but she hid her face again.

Nam So Jin was the son of Nam Moon Chul, the CEO of a multimillion dollar electronic company. He had been the last blind date Hana had gone on. The relationship had been good at first and well on its way to marriage. So Jin had actually asked her parents for their permission, which they had given readily since their daughter was thirty-two.

But no one had known that behind closed doors things were much different. So Jin was bipolar and had refused to take medication. Hana had a loose mouth and tended to say things off the cuff without much thought. She hadn't still didn't think much before thinking.

So Jin had been angry one night over something that had happened at work. He had met Hana for dinner, and during that time she had said something without thinking. So Jin hadn't said anything at the time, but when they had gotten back to his house, he had assaulted her physically and sexually. He'd left bruises along her ribs and hips from where his hands had been.

Hana hadn't said anything even though it had pained her to move. Hyo Shin and Cory hadn't thought to ask why she had been limping since she was a klutz, and neither had dreamed it had been worse than what it was. Hana's personality hadn't changed either so there was nothing that alerted them that anything was wrong.

Six months had passed before anyone had started seeing anything. Cory had noticed a particularly dark mark on her neck one night and had asked about it. In true Hana fashion, she had brushed it off as a simple hickey. But Cory had known better. He had given her plenty and knew what even the worst ones looked like.

So he had followed them on their next date and had witnessed So Jin's anger first hand. Cory had never told Hana who she could and couldn't date nor had he stood in her way when it came to her relationships, but when he had seen So Jin grab Hana under the table, he'd done so then. He'd followed them to So Jin's house and had nearly knocked the door down when he'd heard a crash inside.

Hana had been on the floor, one hand resting on the bookcase she had been shoved into. Cory had leveled So Jin and had taken her to the hospital where she'd been treated for broken ribs.

The engagement had been broken, but Hana hadn't told their parents why. She also had let the rumors spread without confronting them. She had carried on like nothing had happened.

She hadn't seen him in nearly two years, and then he'd showed up at the photo shoot. To her credit, she hadn't given anything away.

"In other news, Jun Jin is Rachel's ex," he stated.

Hana looked up. "The Jun Jin I work with?" He nodded. "He's three years older than me!"

"She said it lasted for a month. Oh! And Rise Noona is dating Andy hyung."

"That I knew."

"Noona, Cory hyung is going to have some questions. You won't lie to him will you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No. I won't. Not that he would believe it."

Hyo Shin nodded. "All right. I'll leave it alone for now."

Grateful he had dropped it, Hana decided it would be okay to eat. She sat in peace as her brother showered and got ready for bed. She knew he didn't have to tutor on Wednesdays so he could spend the day sleeping.

She spent the day cleaning and chilling out. Her limbs shook out of fatigue and nervousness. She didn't have any reason to be nervous but she was. She could feel it in her knees and hands. Her knees barely held her up as she moved and she didn't know why.

So she settled down at the coffee table with her sketchpad and tablet. She had to do something or she would go stir crazy with all the thoughts swirling around her head. Thoughts of insanity and thoughts of work. Thoughts of two men that she didn't want to fight or be at odds with her or each other.

The doorbell rang. Hana glanced at Hyo Shin's closed door to make sure it hadn't awoken him up. Not that it would. He slept like the dead. She got up and went to answer the door. On the other side was Minwoo.

She looked up at him, completely shocked. His smile was gentle and warm as he held up a phone and shook it. She realized it was hers. She must have left it at his house. She stepped back and let him in.

"I called the phone service and found got your address. You left it on the bed," he said.

She accepted it from him and tucked it in her shorts pocket. "Thanks."

"Can we talk for a moment?" he asked.

Hana led him across the room. She picked up her discarded tablet and set it on the table so he would have a spot to sit. She noticed he didn't touch her, which was very, very good. She wasn't sure she could handle it.

"I'm not trying to encroach," he said. "I was simply curious if your words were true. You had mentioned your preferences, and it took me a few days to get up the courage to ask. But you have someone else who meets your needs. If you tell me to back away, I will. All you have to do is say the word."

She rubbed her face. "Cory and I aren't dating. We've never dated. We just sleep together when we're single."

"How did it start?"

"We were both drunk. It progressed from there. We made an agreement that when we're with someone we're purely friends."

Minwoo understand. "So while you're single, you two sleep together, but when you're in a committed relationship, you're simply friends?" She nodded. "You're monogamous."

She nodded. "We've never stipulated that we have to sleep with each other only though. We can sleep with anyone we want. We just chose each other because we know one another."

"I understand. You don't want to have to teach someone else what you like." She looked up him. "I won't push you anymore. I'll let you decide what you want to do. So don't worry about how I feel when I see you with Cory or anyone else. Until you say you want me, I will not pursue you."

Hana watched him get up and leave the house. He didn't say anything or look back. He just left. Confused and saddened, she curled up on the couch and buried her face in the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I know I said I wasn't going to write anything more today, but this chapter kept nagging at me. But I have a paper I have to write the rest of this week so I may not be too active.

* * *

"Noona?"

The person in question turned around in her chair and looked back, a curl falling in her face. A pepero hung out of her mouth like she had not a care in the world. Won shook his head at her and leaned against her desk.

"Are you even thirty-five?" he asked.

She pulled it from her mouth and chewed on it. "You haven't called me noona in nearly ten years. What's wrong with you?" He chewed on his lower lip, and she narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I need you to act human for one night." The scowl on her face deepened until he saw the little white line that always surrounded her mouth when she was annoyed. "I need you to be our liaison at the banquet tonight."

"Why?"

"You're the only one who knows how to effectively navigate this world. We need your fiery tongue and easy-going personality for tonight. Not only are you the oldest worker here in the graphic design department, but you're also the one who can say whatever she wants and not get in trouble. You're already in enough trouble."

She frowned, lips pushed out and cheeks slightly inflated. "Did you just insult or flatter me?"

Won laughed. "If I had insulted you, Hyo Shin would be here by now. He's got a sixth sense for these kinds of things."

Hana wasn't sold on his pitch so she got up and walked to her cabinet. "You've got to do better than that."

"You can wear whatever you want." She turned to face him. "As long as it's a dress." Her eyebrows shot up. "We want to show off your eccentricity and intellect."

"You just want me to show up the old geezers that will be in attendance."

He snapped his fingers. "Bingo. You can go with Da Kyung if you want."

Hana shook her head as she scrunched up her nose. "No thank you. Your wife and I have a strict agreement that we do not want to be photographed in public together. The last time I was told not to corrupt an innocent woman."

His face contorted into one of disgust. "That's because she got drunk and was singing Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain."

"I'm still surprised you know who that is." He sighed and shook his head. "Call Hyo Shin and tell him to bring the white dress bag and blue shoebox from my closet. He'll know what it means."

"Makeup?" She glared at him over her shoulder. "Right. Women always carry that with them."

Hana laughed as he scurried from the room. Won had always been close to her. Growing up he'd been rambunctious, even after his mother died. He had always followed her everywhere she had gone. It had almost been like she had had another younger brother. When he'd taken over the company, he had assured her she would have a job as long as he was in charge. He had known everything about her antics in school and still hired her. He would always be one of her favorite people. She would jump through hoops for him.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't give him a hard time before hand. It made life interesting for her at work. And she was the only one who could torture him without repercussions.

If he put so much faith in her and she failed, he wasn't going to look at her the same again.

* * *

"There are a lot of important people here," Andy mused.

Minwoo nodded and sipped his drink. There were too many people there. Investors, diplomats, even the South Korean president was present. This was a massive event on every level. He even saw a couple of American celebrities rubbing shoulders with Korean ones. He wasn't sure but he could have sworn the members of Big Bang were present.

Eric had asked them to go to this event in the hopes they would get some more backing. They knew their funding was running out because they had used the majority of it to get the company out of debt. Eric's father had had a gambling problem and it had fallen on his son's shoulders when he had inherited the company. Cory had been better off because their grandmother had been stingy with money. If he hadn't made the company anything, she didn't spend it. Cory was the same way. If there was no profit, he didn't waste his time. So he had been able to help his older brother.

So when the two brothers had joined forces, things had started to get better. They had spent the majority of the money reinventing themselves. Then the opportunity with Jeguk Group had opened up and they had taken it. Things had gone well so far. They just needed a few more investors to make up the difference.

Across the room, they spotted Rise and Daehyun. They were the two largest profiting artist and author under Holly Publishing. Rise was the creator of the popular manhwa Simple Life of a Single Lady. Daehyun wrote young adult novels, and at least two had been made into movies. He had even written the screen play for them. Together they brought in a little over half of the revenue the company made.

Rise was wearing her typical attire. A black corseted dress fit her perfectly and lifted her simple breasts as high as they would go. Minwoo looked at Andy to see what his friend was thinking. It wasn't pretty. He downed his drink and strode across the room. Well, he tried but the third person of their trio showed up.

Hana bounded up to them, all smiles that matched her wardrobe. The canary yellow dress fit her personality to a T. She was light and airy and it seemed like she could conquer the world. The diamonds dripped from her ears and neck like they belonged there. It made her all the more radiant.

It was her tattoos that had everyone talking. The stars shown right in the middle of her back, and the sparrow was in mid-flight on her left shoulder. The thin shoulder straps did nothing to hide any of the ink and it wasn't supposed to. Hana truly looked like Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_. Her hair was completely messy, but it suited her personality completely. She was a chaebol who didn't care what she looked like but could be a knockout when she needed to be.

Seeing her with Rise and Daehyun showed she didn't care who she was. Rise was the daughter of a Japanese artist and a Korean businessman. Daehyun's father was the owner of a hotel chain in Canada and his mother was a poet who had been the poet laureate at one point in time. Hana was the daughter of the attorney general. The three of them had found each other in college and had become close friends; best friends who had traveled the world together. Of course they would attend the event together.

Arm in arm with Daehyun in the middle, they strode through the venue like they didn't have a care in the world. And they probably didn't. Two of them were friends with someone who had an awful reputation, and yet that didn't stop them. Even the dirty looks were no match for the friendship that linked the three.

The three of them walked up to the two men. Rise broke away from the two and latched on to Andy's arm. The older man looked down at her with an unamused look. She scrunched her nose up at him then rest her head on his shoulder.

"I see Hana-ssi's bruises have disappeared," Andy commented.

Daehyun laughed and lowered his head. Hana on the other hand did not. She faced it up front. "We both know those weren't bruises."

He half frowned half scowled at her. "Only you would be that honest about it."

She bit her lip and shrugged. "I don't lie about things. I don't really have a need to. All you have to do is ask."

He took the bait. "Are you dating someone?"

The three friends answered together. "No." Then they burst out laughing.

Minwoo watched her the rest of the night. Conversations with all of the older men and women flowed naturally. Hana had gone to school with many of their children either in grade school or college. She was familiar with everyone and it showed. She could navigate this world better than most.

The women talked nonstop about her. She looked and played the part, but Hana was far from a chaebol. She did things at her own pace and made her own way. She captured the attention of all the men with a simply walk by. They knew what they were talking about, but none of it fazed the woman it concerned.

Minwoo couldn't take any more of the drama. Hana had left Daehyun's side and was mingling with others. A man slid his hand up her arm in attempts to elicit a response from her. She looked at the hand but didn't brush it off.

He slipped in behind her, one arm going around her back. She looked at him as he wedged himself at her side. The hand around her back skimmed up her back until his fingers touched her face. He applied enough pressure until she moved close enough for him to capture her lips with his. He smiled when he pulled away not a minute later.

"I'm sorry, but can I steal her for a dance?" he asked.

Hana allowed him to pull her away from the group she had been talking to. She didn't say anything to him until they were secluded on the dance floor. Luckily it was a slow dance so they didn't have to be too close together. She recognized him way too well. Around them, the older members of society crooned at the loveliness of the couple.

"You shouldn't let just anyone touch you," he advised. "It's going to lead to trouble for you."

She laughed. "No one's going to say anything. I'm not trying to do anything with their husbands any way. I'm simply on a good will mission for Won. That's all."

Minwoo looked at her. "Good will mission?"

She nodded. "Because of my reputation, I can do things he can't. Not that it bothers me one bit. I don't care what people think of me."

"May I cut in?"

The expression on her face changed immediately. Hana pulled away from him to look at the interrupter. A nice man Minwoo recognized as the assistant director of the photo shoot stood with his hands folded politely in front of him.

Minwoo was going to bow out but Hana gripped the edge of his sleeve tightly, nothing shone on her face, but her hand trembled. He stepped closer so this new guy wouldn't see her clutching at him.

"Hana-yah, may I have this dance?" he asked.

"Aigoo!" a nice older lady crooned. She smacked the newcomer on his shoulder. He smiled at her. "It's so nice to see the two of you in public together again. So Jin-ah, it's great to see you again!"

"Thank you, halmeoni,' the newly identified man cajoled.

The lady looked between the man and Hana. "Are we going to see a huge wedding this season? Your marriage was the most talked about thing two years ago. Think how us old women felt when you called it off."

Minwoo looked at Hana's face. Her smile hadn't left but it had dimmed. Now she was just being pleasant. He didn't know what had happened between these two but it wasn't anything good. They had broken their engagement because of it.

"Halmeoni, if you excuse me, I'll take my date out to get some fresh air," Minwoo interrupted.

He didn't wait for approval. He took Hana's hand and led her from the venue. By the time they had gotten into the cold night air, Hana was completely closed off from him. She pulled her phone from the side of her dress and dialed a number.

"Won-ah, consider tonight a bust. I'll explain it all tomorrow. I'm going home right now," she said.

"Hana," Minwoo muttered. He waited for her to put the phone away and look at him. "Who was he?"

She laughed sardonically at him. "I'm surprised you don't know that story. Everyone in this circle does."

"Hana." This time it was Eric who interrupted them. Minwoo was pleasantly surprised to see him. He had made Andy and Minwoo come to this thing in the first. "Cory wants me to bring you to him."

This time the laugh was hysterical. But she was saved by Daehyun and Rise. They ran out of the venue with their things. Rise wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and led her away from them. Daehyun was out of breath as he watched two of his best friends disappear down the street.

"He was supposed to be overseas," he muttered.

"Who was he?" Andy asked.

"Nam So Jin. But it's not important about who he is. What's important is what he's done." He looked at the three other men. "He was the man Hana was nearly engaged to two years ago. They would have been married by now if he hadn't abused her. Cory nearly went to jail for shoving his ass through a bookcase."

Eric looked back in the double doors. They could see Nam So Jin laughing and talking it up with some of the younger women. It suddenly made sense as to why everyone was getting their feathers ruffled.

"Did Kim Won know he was going to be here?" Eric asked.

Daehyun shook his head. "No. If he did, he would have sent someone else despite Hana knowing how to work a crowd. He wouldn't put her through that. He defended her too much to do it."

With the new information, everything was starting to make sense even more. Eric and Andy shared a look that was clearly meant to scare anyone, but Minwoo was planning on how to take someone down.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I feel like I've never really said this to my readers, but I appreciate everyone who takes their time out to read these random ramblings. I know a lot of these stories have an original character, but I sometimes like to see what a character will do when certain members of their family are put in situations. Some dramas you don't get that feel. A lot of my original characters are a part of me. I use them to get through certain things in my life. Thank you so much for the views and reviews.

* * *

Hiding out wasn't hard to do. Whenever Hana was quiet, no one searched for her. They didn't even care if she came in or not as long as the work day was peaceful.

Hana had come in long before anyone. She had stayed with Rise who only lived a couple of blocks away. Rise had worked all night on her newest manhwa and hadn't even woken up when Hana had run into the cabinet before leaving.

It was still dark out when she had flipped on her desk lamp. She had been given the fliers by Eric that needed to be finished in the next few days. She had hooked up her smart screen and had set about designing the fliers and billboard by hand.

She worked best when she was alone and quiet. Her thoughts always took a life of their own in that atmosphere. Most times before she even knew it, there was always a swatch of color on the screen or paper. Things always seemed to work out in the end if she didn't think too much about it.

She was in charge of making three separate fliers to entice people to come to Jeju. She had never been so it was like she was making it for herself. One would think that someone who made nearly seven hundred thousand in American money would be able to afford to go. She could, but whenever the job required an executive to go, she had always opted to stay home and run the office. So her imagination was in full swing as she designed the advertising.

Hana sat down and stared at the board. A mother and daughter stared back at her. On the second page it was two brothers. But the third one was the most heart wrenching. It was a lovely couple who had just gotten engaged. They were so excited and so in love. The man was holding the woman tightly as she held her left hand for the world to see the diamond.

Even though their target audience was sisters and those who rarely got to see each other, this picture came out. No matter who they tried to pull in, the hotels would always be a target for newlyweds.

Pulling her legs up, she rested her chin on her knees and stared at the wall. She had almost been one of those girls. She had been so excited when So Jin had proposed. She had finally thought she was going to get her happily ever after. Her father had even booked a trip to Rio de Janeiro for their honeymoon, a place Hana had always wanted to go.

When had broken it due to the abuse, she had stepped into the world that had criticized without even knowing what had had happened. She could handle the buzz about her sex life. She had chosen that, but untruth about a broken relationship was tougher. She had fought through it during the early days, but two years later made it worse.

This wasn't anything what she had expected her life to be. She had wanted something simple and easy. Something that resembled her tastes. None of her friends resembled that. Daehyun and Cory were great friends and one a lover but neither one could handle her idiosyncrasies. She fought too much with them over every day matters. She would not be able to be married to one of them.

She wanted; no, needed someone like Hyo Shin. Her brother had never condemned or criticized her. He had asked the appropriate questions at the appropriate times then had left her alone. He had helped clean up the messes she had made but had never told her she was stupid. Unless she ran into a wall. Which she did often.

The door opened, surprising her. She didn't move. She didn't care who it was. Nothing could undo the damage that was already rifling through the company.

A coffee cup appeared in front of her face then dropped to the floor. She didn't move. In fact, she buried her face further into her knees.

Minwoo sat beside Hana, completely silent in the darkened office. He hadn't talked to her since the night of the function. He had wanted to give her enough space to calm down and think. He'd talked to Hyo Shin in the meantime and had gotten more information.

Nam So Jin and Hana had been set up by their parents. They had gotten along well. So Jin had put up with her weirdness, but when she had spoken, he had gotten angry. Hana hadn't told anyone about what was going on. They had all found out later and hadn't been too happy.

He understood everyone's reactions now. She hadn't told them, and that had made them mad. Not at her, but the situation. She had kept everything to herself. Even now she didn't tell anyone anything. She held everything inside and suffered in silence.

He watched her when she grabbed the tablet and opened a new tab. She started drawing again, her hand moving gracefully across the screen. She was quiet, hand the only thing that was talking in the silence of the room. She stretched her legs out in front of her and wiggled her feet from side to side.

A mountain scene appeared on the screen. It was peaceful unlike the turmoil that raced through the woman who had designed it. Minwoo slid behind her then wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her shoulders jump as he watched her hand still. He didn't move, and because of it, she relaxed a little. He knew he shouldn't be doing this at work but she needed something stable. He could see that even without asking.

"Noona, we have a problem!" Chan Young opened the office door then backpedaled a bit. "Sorry! I didn't know anyone was in here!"

Hana didn't move. "What is it?" Her hand kept its pace as she continued drawing.

"We're missing the pictures for the television spot. Who was in charge of that?" he asked.

"Minwoo." She knocked her head to the side, forcing her head into his. "That was your department."

"The camera is at my house. It's the black Nikon. I'll text you my pass code," Minwoo said. "Just bring the SD card. Have Jun Jin download them. There are ten, 1010-1020. I memorized the numbers so I didn't have to look through all of them."

Chan Young was gone within an instant. Minwoo followed shortly after because he did have work he needed to do. He glanced back to see Hana continuing her work from the floor. If she kept it up, they were going to have so many pictures to sort through.

* * *

"Eric, we have a problem," Jun Jin said.

Won sighed. That's all they had had the last twenty-four hours. They had gotten a call from the hotel in Jeju. Someone had left a pan full of grease on a live burner and had caught the kitchen on fire. All of the occupants had been evacuated, and the gas had been turned off before anything else had happened. The kitchen had been beyond simple repair. They were going to have to completely renovate. That meant there would be no meals in the restaurant.

"What is it?" Eric asked.

Jun Jin sighed and clicked a tab on his tablet. He handed it to his bosses. "Minwoo left his camera at his house and sent Yoon Chan Young to retrieve it. We all know Minwoo has two cameras, one personal and the other for work. He didn't specify which one so Chan Young grabbed both. He looked at the first picture of both SD cards and found the one he was supposed to grab. He left the other sitting on his desk. One of the receptionists in the creative department decided to go through it."

Won was confused. He made a face and shook his head. "I don't understand."

Eric looked down at the pictures. "We do. Minwoo likes beautiful things whatever he finds he takes a picture of it. We've lost him on plenty of assignments only to find him taking pictures of flowers or whatever."

"This time it's a little bit different."

Eric cursed slightly then passed the tablet off to Won. The CEO looked at the screen, mouth widening in horror as he realized what he was looking at and what it meant. He knew those tattoos along that back.

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"We traced the IP address and it came from an employee here. It was delivered to a reporter. I have no doubt that an article is going to be written or already has been written. Dongwan is on this from the PR and legal standpoint. I'm not worried about that. Hana-ssi is a different matter."

He took the tablet from the boss again and clicked on something else. "Nam So Jin's family is claiming Hana-ssi was having an affair at the time of their engagement. They say it was the reason the relationship broke apart. He mentions Cory as the primary adulterer."

Won rubbed his head. "I can't send her to Jeju with this hanging on her head."

"We don't have a choice," Eric argued.

"You don't understand. Hana's mother has already threatened to disown her if another rumor of her sexual preferences comes out. She won't have a family to come back go to. Even Hyo Shin will have to stop speaking to her, and they are super close. Hana got this job by her abilities, but she may have to quit due to pressure from outside forces. Then what will you do?"

The door to the conference room slammed open. Hana stood in front of them, fists curled tightly. They could see her lips quivering as she did everything she could to keep it together. Won rubbed the bridge of his nose, unable to control his anger.

"Did you know he had taken those pictures?" he asked.

She nodded. "I didn't think anything of it."

"Hana!"

"Does yelling even warrant a good effect right now?" Jun Jin asked.

"Won-ah, you know what this means," she said. "I'll have to leave the company, and no one will want me as a daughter-in-law."

"If your parents tell you to leave Jeguk, you can come to Alpha Advertising," Eric advised. "We will have to figure out a way to deal with this scandal though."

"It will just add food to the fire." She rubbed her eyes. "Take the things I've worked on so far and put someone else's name on them. I'll clean out my office."

Won shook his head. "You can't do that. I need you to go to Jeju."

She laughed at him. "You want me to go to Jeju with this hanging over my head? Are you crazy?"

"It makes sense. We can release a statement about you dating Minwoo and the pictures that were leaked were your private pictures that were picked up by accident. The person who released them will be fired. You don't have to worry about that," Eric added.

"I have to deal with Cory."

This time the older man smiled. "Cory already knew. I'm pretty he's the one who told you Minwoo was interested. I'm pretty sure he's going to be all right."

Hana bit her lip as she looked out the window. This was one of the hardest decision she had to make. She already knew what would become of her with her parents but now she had to deal with So Jin's family. She had been pretty certain he hadn't told them what had happened in the first place. Now that he was claiming it was infidelity, things with the families were going to get out of control. She could even damage her father's job if it got too crazy.

"I'll only go if Hyo Shin, Rachel, and a couple others go. It's safer in a group."

Won agreed instantly because he knew it was the only way he was going to get her to go.

"And don't pack up your office just yet. I want to explore some other options. Tell Chan Young to have the owner of this IP address come see me. We have something to discuss," he said.

Hana didn't ask what he was going to do. She didn't care. The looks she got when she walked back to her office said it all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** So I spent most of the last two days mulling over two papers I had to write for two classes. I spent the majority of today writing those two papers. Luckily I got them done. All I have going this week is midterms and a weekend birthday bash. So hopefully I can finish this story, get the other one typed, and maybe work on the other BoF one I started forever and a day ago. Next week is break so maybe I can work then too. But I'm also making blankets as well. Whew! I'm busy.

Also just a random side note, when I use the years I'm using American years and not Korean. So in American years Hyo Shin is 27 and 28 in Korean years. Hana is 34 in American and 35 in Korean. Just tossing that out there.

* * *

Hana sat quietly on the plane. Well, she was asleep so it made sense. Curled in an itty bitty ball, she slept as peacefully as anyone could in an airplane seat. They were in first class so it made it a little bit easier and lot more private, but it still looked painful.

She wasn't exactly free hanging. Her head was propped on Minwoo's shoulder. She had laced her arms through his and was clinging to him as she slept. He had covered her up but the blanket had slipped down her shoulder when she had shifted.

Minwoo made eye contact with Hyo Shin and Chan Young. The two young men either nodded or glared at him respectively. He wasn't surprised. Hyo Shin had spent the last twenty-seven years watching over his sister. He seemed to be relieved. Chan Young on the other had hand spent five years being glued to his boss's side. He felt his territory was being encroached upon. He had been one of the main three to pick up the pieces after the failed relationship, and he wasn't opposed to doing it again.

Hana still hadn't told him any details. He had known what had happened, but he didn't know the details leading up to it. He wasn't going to ask because he didn't want to upset her. All he wanted was to have a plan so he could protect her from the vultures, press and chaebol.

She shifted, tightening her arms around his. She buried her nose in his shoulder, nuzzling briefly before situating herself. Minwoo knew this was going to be the only time she was completely relaxed. As soon as he woke her up, she would clam up and ignore the situation. The two hours was a time for her to be Hana.

It wasn't just Hana, Minwoo, Hyo Shin and Chan Young who had come on the trip. Rachel had come with Hyo Shin. Chan Young's girlfriend Bo Na had also come. But they weren't the only ones who were going. Dongwan and Daehyun had come. The latter had a fan meeting he was attending so he had caught the flight with them. There was a high probability he wasn't going to stay, but just him being there had been a huge relief to Hana.

The flight attendant called out their descent and asked for everyone to buckle their seat belts. Minwoo reached over and buckled Hana's belt without waking her up. There was going to be plenty of time for her to wake up but right now he wasn't going to mess with it.

As first class filtered out, Minwoo took his time waking the woman up. She sighed and nuzzled her face again. Her eyes opened, the black crescents rising slowly to unveil tired and bloodshot brown eyes. She looked at him as the reality set in. All he could do was smile at her because this was just the start of their three-day trip. He wasn't going to send her away.

"Noona, we have to go," Hyo Shin cajoled.

She looked up at him then unfastened her belt. She stepped over Minwoo to get into the center aisle. He watched her walk down the aisle behind her brother. He and Dongwan grabbed the bags from the overhead compartment and brought up the rear.

They hadn't even made it into the terminal when flash bulbs started erupted. The press was in full swing. Hana pulled the green cap on and over her eyes. She dropped her head and plowed through the crowd. She didn't look back, didn't speak to anyone. And the young men and women with her didn't say anything to her or the press. They kept their heads up and stayed where they were. They surrounded and supported her silently.

Things didn't even settle down when they stepped out of the airport. Their cars were obviously parked out front by the valet but their ways were blocked. Rachel took care of that. She pushed people left and right to get to the cars. She climbed in the front passenger seat of one of the two seaters and closed the door. Hyo Shin and Hana round the cars parked bumper to bumper and got in the driver's sides. The former cast the latter a brief look before he was able to pull away from the curb.

The ride to the hotel was quiet. Hana drove easily through the simple traffic of the island. It was like second nature to her. She had one hand on the wheel while the back of the other was pressed to her mouth. Again, she never said anything, but she didn't have to. The three men in the car didn't have to ask anything.

The car pulled up to the hotel and bailed out. The valets took the keys and assured they would take the luggage to their rooms. The younger kids went on their own way. Hana had given Chan Young the day off to be with Bo Na so the two couples went to the still functioning spa and bar. Hana, Dongwan and Minwoo had business they actually had to do. Daehyun was just going to relax.

"Well this is worse than I thought it was," Dongwan muttered.

Hana shook her head. "That's what happens when you don't change the infrastructure. The rest of the hotel was renovated with metal beams. The kitchen would have had to be gutted, the wall redone, and the appliances replaced. That would have been a two-month project."

"Lee Hana-ssi!" The director of the hotel appeared as soon as they stepped into the kitchen. Hana wasn't impressed, and the crossed arms and violent stare were the dead giveaways. "We need your help."

She sighed, much like she had been doing recently, and looked around the kitchen. "You should have listened to me two years ago when I told you to renovate the kitchen when you did the rest of the hotel. But like usual, you don't. And now you've screwed up a highly profitable campaign that could have triple the revenue for this hotel in the next six months. Instead of having the revenue triple, you've just cost nearly two and a half million dollars' worth of damage. So instead of happy couples and siblings and anyone else who wants to come here for a good time, we now have to renovate the kitchen and the second floor. Well done, Kim Joong-ssi. Well done."

"We didn't have the budget for the renovation. It would have cost ten times more to do the kitchen," he argued.

Hana fished an envelope from her bag and handed it to him. Her expression never changed as the man read the document inside. "I may be a graphic designer, but I have Kim Won's ear most of the time he's not being snarky. I also know that the budget you had two years ago has been tripled since then."

"But…but…but we don't have the funds to renovate this place!"

"I know. That's why you've been released from your position." She handed him another envelope. "The CEO sent by me because he knew if he brought it, he would have strangled you by now."

She turned on her heel and left the flabbergasted man in the destroyed kitchen. She may be interesting and detached from some things but she had a keen business sense. When Won sent her out on a job, she usually played double duty. Just like she had today. Minwoo and Dongwan didn't know that Won had sent her to fire the director of the hotel. She was the graphic designer but she was also Won's ace in the hole because no one assumed she would be the one to deliver a death blow.

Dongwan excused himself to his room, and Minwoo followed Hana into the room. She pulled off the cap and collapsed on the bed. She pulled her right knee up and tucked her right hand under her chin.

"What are you going to do now that you've fired the manager?" he asked.

"Won wants me to see through the renovation until he can find a replacement. So until further notice I'm the acting manager of this hotel. It will give me plenty of time to figure out how I'm going to get this place back to where it should be," she replied.

He sat down and put his hands between his knees. "Just say what's on your mind."

She looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't spoken to me in two days. I heard your mother called Won and demanded that he fire you. You have to be feeling something. Thinking on something hard. Just tell me what it is."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Hana!"

"I'm not lying. I don't have anything to talk about. You have two cameras of the same make and model. It's easy to get them mixed up if you don't know which is which. You and Chan Young both have already apologized for the mix up. It wasn't anyone in this hotel's fault."

He gawked at her for a few moments. "What are you going to do about Nam So Jin and Bae Min Ri? They're not going to let up on the articles."

"Time heals all wounds. Maybe my time here will loosen come of the blows that society will deal me."

Minwoo let his head hang down as he listened to everything she said. She wasn't going to fight anything. She wasn't going to deal any damage outside of work. She was simply letting things go the way they needed to go. Whatever the world dealt her, she was going to take it in stride.

"What about your parents?" he asked.

"My dad isn't the issue. After I told him what I wanted to do and he sent me overseas, our relationship has bettered. He still associates with me. It's my mom who won't see me anymore after this. She was the one who set me up with So Jin and she was the one who lost the family ties. Not that it really bothers me. I was never really close to her anyway. She's the reason Hyo Shin tried to commit suicide."

Shaking his head, he stood and pulled her up. Snapping her cap back on her head, he took her hand as he grabbed his camera bag. She was used to him pulling her around by now and went freely with him. He was smart and took them out the back door so the paparazzi wouldn't attack them.

Though the kitchen and the first floor suites were charred and in ruins, the exterior was still as gorgeous as ever. Even though it was cold, the view was spectacular. The best was the view of Halla Mountain. Now since it was February, it was snowcapped.

Hana let go of his hand and wandered away from him, bright green coat radiant against the stark white of the freshly fallen snow. Out of the back of the hat, her black ponytail provided a dark line down her back. Minwoo could see the tips of her gloves peek out of her sides where she had her arms crossed over her stomach.

Minwoo pulled out his camera and started taking photos. This was what quiet time was for. This is what she needed; what he needed. They needed quiet time away from everyone else. This was the perfect place. Snow, sunshine, and endless amount of places to go. If they wanted to go to the sea, they could. If they wanted to hike the mountain to see the sunrise, they could. They could do so many things if they wanted. But right at that moment they wanted to be alone.

Hana sat down in the snow and looked all over. It was this Hana that no one saw. They saw the quirky woman who slept through meetings, loved sex, and didn't care what anyone thought. What they were missing was the intuitive woman who put others' needs above her own, who loved her younger brother dearly, and was very, very quiet. This was Lee Hana. This was the woman who was the creative backbone of Jeguk Group. This was the misunderstood woman who everyone talked about but no one knew that because they didn't care about her personality. Just her reputation.

He looked at her through the lense of his camera and smiled. This is all he wanted to give her. Peace and quiet and anything that would make her happy and give her a clear mind.

She got up and dusted off her pants. He kept snapping pictures as she stood, turned around and came right at him. When she was halfway to him, he looked up. Luckily his camera was around his neck because he would have dropped it when she tossed her arms around his neck and kissed him.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I have worked on this all day. It has taken all day to figure out where I wanted this to go. Here it is!

* * *

Hana sat on the balcony and watched the sunset, cup of coffee sending wisps of steam into the chilly night air. For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. Not because Minwoo had just listened to things she hadn't told but three people. It was because she actually had people who could talk through the insanity that was her life.

Growing up she had known she was completely different than all the other rich girls. She didn't mind getting manicures and pedicures but she had always ruined them with paint or clay. She had always been very hands on and had destroyed her hands doing woodwork or something that would get her one step closer to an art degree.

Much like Hyo Shin, her mother had forced a tutor on her. To this day their mother didn't know she had dated the tutor, even going so far as to sleeping with him when her parents hadn't been home. Obviously Hyo Shin had known because he had always been the one person she could tell anything to, even at a young age. Luckily he hadn't taken after her in the physical aspect. At twenty-seven, he hadn't touched Rachel without her permission, and she always permitted it.

When Hana had refused to take the tests to the three big campuses in Korea, she'd had a knock-down, drag out fight with her mother about things she really wanted to do. She hated law. Not because it was something her parents had made a life out of, but because she didn't want to make money off people's pain. She would have rather made money off making people happy. But they hadn't seen it her way and had tried to force her to take the exams. When she had missed it, her mother had rescheduled for her, but she had simply talked to the board of directors and had explained why she wouldn't be taking the exam.

The way she'd gotten her father on her side had been the art show she had set up through the school. She hadn't told anyone but Hyo Shin what she had been doing that Saturday. He had promised to come. She had been pleasantly surprised to see her father there with him. Hyo Shin had wanted to go alone, but Chan Hyuk has insisted he go along.

That was when her father had seen what she could do. It was before computers had been developed for graphic design. Hana had done everything by hand, from woodworking to painting. She had displayed all of it and had decided to auction it off for a charity that would distribute rice to countries that had so little.

He hadn't said anything to her, watching as people had looked over and bidding on her pieces. She remembered being very cordial to them even as the bidding hadn't gone very well. Surprisingly by the end of the day, she had raised enough money to support three families for an entire year. But the most surprising thing was who had bought the final pieces. To this day, the universe piece still hung in her parents' living room over the mantle.

After that, her father had paid for her to go to school in New York. She had made friends with Cory, Daehyun, and Rise. They had traveled all over the United States and Europe as college artists and crazies. She had known that for the rest of their lives they were going to be close. Even when Hana and Cory had started sleeping together, nothing had really changed. No one had judged or said anything derogatory. In fact they had defended each other.

Then Cory's grandmother had died and they had all returned to Korea together. Cory had taken the helm of the publishing company and had signed Rise and Daehyun under the company. He had asked Hana if she had wanted to come, but she hadn't wanted to design the covers of books. She had much rather work for a company that would make the lives better for others. Won had called and had asked her to come in for an interview. He had hired her right then and there.

For the last ten years she had worked with Jeguk things hadn't gotten any better. The rumors had died down after she had proved what an excellent asset she was, but it hadn't eased her reputation. Not that it had mattered to her. She had and was probably getting more sex than even the married ladies. And her relationship with her parents had even gotten slightly better with all the blind dates she had gone on.

But everyone knew how that had ended. Now she was stuck with a mother who blamed her for their loss of station and a brother who was going to reap the destruction of that.

Nowhere in anything that had happened had she felt that something good would come out of all of it. Glancing back in the dim room, she caught a glimpse of Minwoo's back as he slept on his stomach. She didn't know if she considered this love, but it was well into the like area. He wasn't intrusive and demanding. He was patient and gentle, watching what he said and did to make sure it didn't hurt her.

Her phone rang. She fished it out from under the blankets, shivering when the cool air hit her bare skin.

"Hey, Cory," she said.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. "You haven't talked to me in a little bit."

"I'm fine."

Cory sniffled on the other side. She knew he was thinking hard about asking what was really on his mind. "Are you dating him?" he finally asked.

She shook her head on her side. "No, but if you tell me not to, I won't."

"Hana, do you love me?"

"No."

"Then date him. Hyung says he's protected you through everything that has gone one since they have started working with Jeguk. If he can do that, then he deserves your undivided attention. Besides, I've met someone myself."

"Oh, I know. I'm the one who gave her your number."

Cory laughed on the other end. "Only you. I'll let you get back to your trip. I'll be down in a few days to help out."

She tucked the phone back under the blanket and stared out over the darkened area. To have Cory support her no matter what she did meant a lot. She knew he had her back.

Shivering, she grabbed the cup and hopped back into the room. The fire was going out. This was one of her favorite hotels because of the fire places on the top floor. She stoked the fire, happy that it was burning again. It warmed the room up quickly. She stood staring into it, just watching the flames leap about.

"What are you doing?"

She turned around to see Minwoo rubbing his head, eyes still full of sleep. He looked somewhat lost as he looked around the room. It made her laugh. She shook her head and tightened the blanket around her.

"Minwoo, I've never said thank you," she said.

He propped his head up on his arm and looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "What for?"

"No matter what has happened in the last month, you were always there to pick up the pieces and make sure things went the way I wanted them. You just don't know how much it helped."

He sniffled. "Say what you want to say."

She shook her head. "I don't have anything to say."

He motioned her over with his hand and she did without argument. He adjusted the second blanket over the bed as she snuggled in next to him. His fingers were slightly rough against her smooth skin.

"How did you become a photographer?" she asked.

"My mother was one before she passed away. I decided that I wanted to follow her career," he explained.

"Who was she?"

"Choi Bo Ram."

Hana lifted her head quickly. "Your mother was Choi Bo Ram? The Choi Bo Ram who took pictures for Elle Korea and CeCi?" He nodded. "I did my thesis paper on her and how she has inspired female graphic designers. I passed the class with flying colors because of it."

Minwoo smiled and tucked her head under his chin. His mother had inspired many women to become models and fashion designers but never a graphic designer. She hadn't wanted him to become a photographer but after she had passed, he had only wanted to be close to her. And photography had come naturally to him. Eric had decided that he would work with the best one he knew, and that was Minwoo. He had made sure he had the same possibilities as his mother.

* * *

Hyo Shin sat by the hot tub with Rachel and Bo Na. Hana and the others were busy with work so he had to keep Bo Na preoccupied. It was fine. As long as they could stay by the pool without getting their hair or makeup messed up, they were satisfied. Hana didn't want to deal with them so she left them with him.

He had seen his sister be herself more here than she had in Seoul. Here she was in Jeju living like she hadn't in years. Her ears and cheeks were red with delight. She hadn't been this happy since she had returned to Korea. Here she was able to be herself. No one was able to talk down to her.

He heard her talking and looked up. Hana was supremely relaxed now. Minwoo and Dongwan flanked her on either side. Dongwan was able to talk freely with the people who had come to renovate the kitchen while Hana kept up with the graphic side of the things. She and Minwoo would disappear for hours taking pictures and creating slideshows as the renovations went about.

But it wasn't the times they worked that made Hyo Shin feel so comfortable about it all. It was the times when they two were away from work, when they didn't know anyone was watching that things were right. Minwoo allowed Hana to be herself and didn't try to curb her insane sides. He let her do what she wanted and went along with some of her crazier ideas, like rolling down a snow covered hill because she wanted to.

As he watched them through the glass, he saw Minwoo place his fingertips on the small of Hana's back. She looked at him and he said something that had her nodding in agreement though the look on her face wasn't fully accepted. She was thinking over something. But it was that hand that made Hyo Shin smile. Hana would usually shy away from someone's hand, but here she didn't mind it. In fact, she was comfortable enough with this man to be seen in public with him.

"Oppa." Rachel smacked his arm. "Look."

Bo Na and Rachel stared in shock across the spa. Nam So Jin and another woman slipped out of their robes and dropped into the far end of the hot tub. No sooner had they done so than they started kissing and making out. Hyo Shin didn't buy it. Nam So Jin wasn't here to simply relax. He was here to prove a point. He wanted Hana to hurt and he was going to do his best to make sure she did.

"Hyo Shin-ah!" Every head turned when Hana walked through the spa, her heels clicking confidently on the cement. "I have a meeting at three. Are you going with me or are you girls going to stay here?"

Rachel looked up and played the so-so card. Hana's smile as reassuring as she understood the woman's plight. It was hard to make a decision. Stay by the warmth of the hot tub or put clothes on and go to a meeting.

"Is Chan Young going to be there?" Bo Na asked. Hana nodded. "Bye!" She hopped up and took off.

"I'll see the two of you at dinner."

"Jagiya!" Minwoo's voice was crystal clear as it rang out.

Hana blew air out through her nose then turned to look over his shoulder. "What?!"

His laugh was fun as he squinted. "We have to go."

She made a face at him then looked back at her brother. "He thinks he's in charge."

"If you would quit sleeping with him, he wouldn't think he was in charge," Hyo Shin quipped.

All she did was smile. Hyo Shin found himself smiling in return because his sister was finally back. She was smiling like she had when they had been kids. She was happy. There was no wariness behind her eyes. She was like she had been when she had gone off to school. This was his sister he had missed for the last sixteen years.

She waved at them then stood and turned towards the door. She never paid a lick of attention to So Jin and the girl who was sucking on his neck. Hana strode right up to Minwoo and started yelling at him for yelling at her. They walked by the big window wall, talking and cutting up.

"He's not happy," Rachel muttered.

Hyo Shin looked over her shoulder to see So Jin fuming. He shoved his girl away from him and hopped up out of the hot tub. He didn't even wrap a towel around himself. He just stormed out the door. Hana and Minwoo were about to meet a beast.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Sorry it has taken so long to get this up. I've had a lot going on. School, my grandfather passed away and other stuff what I call bullshit since I first published this story. The other one I was working on is pretty much finished. I just have to type it up. I didn't forget about this. I just haven't been emotionally able to write fanfictions. Thank you to those who have reached out in my time of hiatus. It's meant a lot.

With that being said, I have only one more chapter planned after this but you know how the characters work sometimes. It may be a thirteen - chapter story even though I don't like ending things on odd numbers.

Hana stared at the posters displayed on her desk and mulled them over them. She flipped them over and over trying to figure out if she liked them. She hated this part of the job. She hated choosing. She could design all day but choosing was a different story.

The kitchen had been demolished and the new studs were being put in. Shiny metal gleamed in the empty space. In a few short days, the dry wall and paint would be on the wall. The new appliances would be on the wall and in their proper places once the paint dried, and the gas and water would be turned back on.

Won still wasn't anywhere near ready to pick the new director. He had budgets crop up that needed to be attended to so he hadn't been able to interview anyone. Hana had been holding meetings the last couple of weeks. She had gotten all the staff back on track, and had turned all of that information in to Won on a daily basis. Guests had even started filtering in though the kitchen and dining hall were not ready.

She had made deals with the restaurants around the hotel. She would design new ads if they would deliver food each night to the hotel. Naturally she had paid them but they had been grateful for the new advertising. The guests had gotten free food out of the deal. And it wasn't the same food. Every restaurant brought a different dish than their competition. It was like they had talked it over amongst themselves. Regardless, Hana had been very grateful to them.

Hana, Minwoo, Dongwan, and Chan Young were the only ones of the original eight that were still there. Bo Na, Hyo Shin and Rachel had returned over the weekend. Daehyun had left the day before for a fan meeting. They had all taken the top floor's suites as their own, everyone taking a room for themselves. Not that Hana used hers often. She spent the majority of her time in the office or wandering around the hotel and grounds. Chan Young followed her sometimes, feeding into her slight insanity.

The four were always together when they were awake. They had formed a stronger bond than anyone had thought. It was getting to the point where they could finish each other's sentences. And they got the jobs done plus more. They had broken even on the budget. Now they were making money. They had even incorporated things they hadn't existed before.

Minwoo had set up a photography studio. When couples or families or any sort of guests came, they were able to have quality photos taken. He had even started following some guests around, taking pictures to put on the website. He and Dongwan had worked tirelessly on a new website, and when the final product had gone up three days ago, it had received over five hundred thousand views in two hours. By the end of the week, it had gotten over three million. People had started booking rooms months in advance after that.

Chan Young had pulled double duty as well. To keep Hana out of the kitchen, he had started working there at night. He had become a hit with the guests with his happy attitude that people started asking to be seated in his section. He had a way with the customers that made them feel at home though the place was wrecked.

Dongwan had overseen the restoration of the kitchen as much as he could, but his main contribution had been watching the bank accounts. He had monitored the budget while repairing all the things that had been lost, and his excitement had risen when they had broken even and had started making money again.

Though the men had done their bests to help with the magnitude of the whole scenario, Hana still bore the weight of the entire thing. Since she had taken this position, she had dealt more with the main shareholders of Jeguk Group than she had in the last eight years she had worked there. They had wanted to know what was taking so long to get everything back on track and why she was in the position. Even though Won had backed her up, they still demanded every cent be documented. Not to mention they always brought her personal life into play. She was never going to get through it if they didn't shut up and let her work.

She hadn't risen to their bait though. If she had, she would have been fired right away and that would have angered her even more. Then she would have taken all of her accounts gone somewhere else. The people didn't work with Jeguk because it was simply Jeguk. They worked with the company because Hana was a damned good designer and could carry her own weight if she wanted. That's what made her so dangerous to the company. But she never flaunted any of that over them. She had kept her mouth shut and had gone to work. Not because of her family, or her friends. She genuinely liked her job.

So she worked even though she was the most hated person in the company now. She had brought a hundred new searches to the company even though it hadn't given up anything on her personal life. It did mention that she was peculiar but it didn't give anything else. Whatever the weirdos were looking for, it wasn't there.

Hana tossed the legal sized papers to the floor and stared at the blank sides. There was nothing else she could do. She really didn't like any of the plain jane ones that had been submitted. Maybe she needed to pull someone in and have them look at it. She was having such a hard time. What if she had someone else design it? Would it give it a new meaning? Would it be something completely different? She had no clue.

The door to the office opened without someone knocking. She was used to that. Minwoo and Chan Young didn't knock. Dongwan rarely came to the office so she knew it wasn't him. She didn't think anything of it. In fact, she didn't even look up.

That was a mistake. She should have. She desperately wished she had when a hand flew across her face. The force of it knocked her backwards, the chair tipping over. She cracked her head on the wall not once but twice. She didn't have to look up. She knew who it was.

Fight took over, and she grabbed whatever she could. It happened to be the lamp that had taken a tumble with her. She swung without seeing and met her target. Wisely, she kicked off her shoes and got to her feet. Though unsteady, she ran out the open door. She was really light headed but if she stopped, there was a possibility that he would kill her. He was bipolar and refused to take any medication.

Dongwan was in the kitchen. He would be painting to help the crews get ahead in their work. He would also have the best line of defense at the moment. All the tools had been left by the crews so they didn't have to lug it back and forth. Hana had gotten a good hit in, but So Jin wasn't dumb and he had a high pain tolerance. That knock wouldn't have stopped him.

She was knocked down from behind. Rolling, she brought her feet up and lashed out. She caught So Jin in the gut and sent him flying backwards. It bought her enough time to get back on her feet, but she didn't have enough time to run. So she stood still because she didn't have any other choice, bracing herself against the wall as he ran at her again.

But this time, he didn't make it. He was stopped inches before he reached her. She recognized Chan Young's dark head as he shoved So Jin backwards. When the older man came at them again, he slugged him across the face hard enough to shock his world. So Jin was much more dangerous than Chan Young realized. Without thinking, Hana stepped in front of the young man and took the blow that was meant for him for interfering.

This one hurt more than anything else he had ever done. This one was meant to kill a young man because it had been meant to hit him in the temple. Hana was taller than Chan Young by a couple of inches so it glanced off her ear. But it was hard enough that it cut her brow bone and sent blood dripping into her eye. Chan Young caught the man off guard and shoved him into the glass window. It wasn't hard enough to send him completely through it, but his head and shoulders shattered it. He grabbed Hana's hand and took off down the hallway again.

Minwoo and Dongwan were cleaning up the mess in the kitchen when the double doors slammed open. Chan Young came through first towing Hana in behind him. He swung around and shoved the woman behind him. They got a very brief look at her and dropped all the tools they were holding.

There was no time to ask what in the hell was going on because the doors flew open once again. Chan Young met Nam So Jin as he barreled into the space and shoved him backwards. Dongwan and Minwoo took advantage of his balance and wrapped him up.

"Chan Young, call the police," Dongwan ordered. "And ask for an ambulance."

Relieved, Hana sat down hard in the middle of the kitchen. It hurt to do even that but she was satisfied. She didn't have to be scared anymore. Not that she was in the first place. She heard Chan Young on the phone with everyone. By the time he was done, her vision had dimmed so much that she could barely count how many bodies were in the room.

"You know? I could wake up to cute emergency workers any time."

Hyo Shin shook his head as his sister woke up to what he would describe as her dream. The emergency worker was just her type. He wasn't too buff but he wasn't slim either. He had enough meat on his bones to make every girl present – and there were plenty – to swoon with envy as he touched Hana in places she had been injured.

He smiled in understanding. He must have gotten that a lot because he took it with a grain of salt. "Lee Hana-ssi, you don't have a concussion, but I think you should take it easy. The hits your skull took should have left some sort damage. Fortunately, enough for you, they did not. I suggest you not use a computer or anything with blue light for the time being."

"It's that hard head of hers," Won quipped. It was supposed to be a whisper, but when it came to Hana, he didn't care who heard him make fun of her.

"Where's Nam So Jin?" Minwoo asked.

"Chan Young-ah?" Hana said. The younger man pushed his way to her. She noticed he had as many cuts and bruises as she had. Neither of them deserved the beating they had gotten.

She sat up and looked at him. "Nothing broken?"

Chan Young shook his head. "I'm fine. My head hurts a bit but they said it was nothing serious."

"Officer," Won's voice cut through their conversation, "please bring Nam So Jin to your station for questioning. You have enough evidence with the CCTVs to prove that he attacked this woman. I'm sure with the doctor's notes from two years ago you will have plenty to have a solid case."

"Won-ah," Hana said. She eased herself up the wall, only allowing the emergency worker to help her up. "Do this quietly. I don't want to harm his family any more than they will be."

Won looked at her. His face said he wanted to argue with her, to tell her she was being stupid. But the look on her face asked something completely different. Through the bruise forming under her eye, he could see the sincerity of her words. She didn't want something to happen to his family that had happened to hers. Though he was the culprit in this instance, she didn't want his parents to suffer with the stigma of having a convict or someone less in society as their son.

It was one look, but Won understood with she was asking. Hana wasn't a vindictive person. She just wanted to get through things that not everyone had to witness. Her lifestyle had forced her to grow a thick skin, but it didn't make her any less compassionate.

"Minwoo-ssi, take her to her room. I'll have some aspirin brought up." Hana shook her head and shrugged out of the emergency worker's hand. "Where the hell are you going?"

"Back to work. Unlike you, I can't afford to take a day off," she quipped.

"You moron! You have a bandage on your face and a black eye! You're going to scare the workers. It's not even Halloween! Yah! Lee Hana! Get back here! Lee Hyo Shin, get your sister."

Hyo Shin snorted and turned in the direction of his sister. "You don't have to live with her."

"I still can't win that battle, Oppa," Rachel said. She and Bo Na followed them down the hallway.

"If there's one thing we have learned in the last few weeks," Eric said, "that woman does what she wants, but she's good at it so you don't have to worry about it. If she says she's okay, she probably is."

Won sighed and signed the paperwork for the insurance. "Physically she may be okay. I've seen her go a few rounds with Cory and come out with nothing more than a scratch. But I'm worried about her mental state. She'll mull over it until it eats her alive."

"Hyo Shin will push her down a snowy hill," Minwoo chirped. He walked away as soon as he said it.

Dongwan shook his head. "That's an unlikely pair, but somehow they make it work. I don't see them getting married any time soon though."


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: This is the last chapter for this story. I wasn't going to write anything, but I suddenly had an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. I hate when that happens because it usually means I won't get anything done.

I'm in the process of getting two tattoos for my late grandparents. It's always been something I've wanted to do, but I've never had the time nor the money to do so. Luckily, I know a guy who does a very good job. I'm really excited.

* * *

Hana watched the needles slip in and out of her skin. Her fourth tattoo didn't hurt as much as everyone said it would. Even though it was on her collarbone, she didn't feel the bite as many had told her she would. Three tiny words would fill the skin there.

Faith. Hope. Love.

Faith that things would work out. Hope that would last through the ages. Love that conquered all. Hana believed unconditionally in these three things.

She tossed her head back on the headrest, allowing her curly hair to cascade nearly to the floor. She trusted Song Joong Sil to do a good job. He had done all of her other tattoos so she didn't have to watch to make sure he did it correctly.

The last few months had been a rollercoaster. Hana had worked in Jeju for most of it. Once the news stations got wind of Nam So Jin being arrested, they had staked out Hana and Hyo Shin's apartment. When her brother had told them she wouldn't be home for a very long time, they had come to Jeju to get the truth from her. Hana hadn't talked to the press, and Chan Young had been very vocal with them about trespassing. A few days later, Won had issued a warning to the press. If they so much as stepped one foot on Jeguk Group land, he would slap every single one of them with trespassing and harassment charges. She had been put under strict orders not to leave the hotel unless absolutely necessary.

That had driven her nuts. She had been closed off in one area of the hotel and had been told not to move. She had gotten in a fight with the staffers because they were following Won's order and not hers. Technically, he was all their bosses, but he wasn't there. They should listen to her. Instead, they took orders from a man across the country. She didn't blame them, but it made her life harder.

She had had a huge fight with Minwoo right before they came back to the mainland. She had slipped out of the office one night without even thinking about it. It was just her natural reaction when she was busy doing some heavy thinking. She had walked out the back door without thinking too much.

A reporter had been camped out the backdoor. No one was supposed to be on the grounds late at night unless they had a key card or were staff. Hana had gone stone-faced immediately. Her shoulders had dropped back and she had looked dead ahead at the horizon as the questions slid over her. What were her intentions now? Would she have anything to do with the Nam family anymore? Would she be forced to resign from Jeguk Group? All these questions made her angry and annoyed.

Minwoo had showed up out of nowhere like he was prone to doing. He pushed her backwards towards the building as he took the brunt of her questions. By doing so, he had opened himself up to all sorts of theories and rumors. He had been called her knight in shining armor. His name was going to blow up all over the news if he wasn't careful. Netizens were crazy when it came to idols or chaebols.

He had sent her back to her suite only to yell at her when he had returned. He had told her how crazy she had been and if she was going to be that stupid, she could just go back to her way of living before she came to Jeju.

Hana hadn't answered him, but that hadn't meant she hadn't been angry. Since they had arrived in Jeju, they had shared a room. That night she had asked him to leave. They had stared at each other for the longest time. Minwoo had been shocked; Hana had been angry. She wasn't prone to acting out in anger, but that night had pushed her past her limit. She had been cramped in the hotel for weeks, and being told to return when she had done nothing wrong had driven her over the edge.

That had started a series of nights where she had been alone. She had needed it, had craved it. She hadn't been alone since the entire court proceedings had started. Nam So Jin had been indicted on six counts battery, four counts attempted murder, and two counts of sexual assault. Hana hadn't been the only girl he had attacked. She had been the only one to fight back, and because of that, he was now going to jail.

None of meant that Hana hadn't been upset. In fact, she had been more upset at being yelled at than the court case. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she was still being treating as if she had been the one to start it. Even from Minwoo she had been getting that feeling.

When she had returned to Seoul, she hadn't gone into work at all. Instead, she had taken her vacation days and had locked herself in her home so no one would bother her. Her mother had called multiple times a day, especially on the days Nam So Jin was in court. Hana had refused to testify and her mother wanted to know why. Hyo Shin had tried to help, but it had only made matters worse. With their father helping decide the case, it was making their mother's home life even worse. Chan Hyuk couldn't talk about the case, and that made their mother frantic.

She had decided to get the new tattoo when Hyo Shin had returned home from a week abroad. He and Rachel had been in Hawaii for a fashion show Rachel had hosted. They had taken the remaining two days to spend together. He had returned happier than ever. He had said that he had faith that things would work out, hope that would last through the ages, and a love that conquered all. He had felt that all of that had fallen into place in the last several months.

She had liked it so much she had designed a tattoo.

"I'm all done, Hana," Joong Sil replied. He wiped the excess ink away and sprayed it again only to wipe it down again. "You know what to do."

She nodded. "A couple of questions though. What about a bra? Last time, it was on the edge of the bra strap so it was bearable."

"If you can, wear a strapless one. It's only for two weeks so you can bear with it."

"Second, would you ever date me?"

Joong Sil turned around. "Why are you asking that suddenly? Did you have a fight with Cory?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. He's been dating the only daughter of Hwasa Entertainment. Apparently, she's worse than me."

He laughed and sat down on his stool. "I wondered what happened to the two of you. He came in the other day saying he hadn't seen you in several months. I figured it was because you had fought. I didn't ask and he didn't say anything. How long has been dating that girl?"

"Not too long. He seems happy though."

"Then why are you asking this?" He watched her shuffle her clothes back into position. "What have you done this time?"

"Nothing much. I've been hiding more than anything."

Joong Sil licked his lips as a huge smile erupted on his face. "I know. You usually don't just randomly show up as for a tattoo. Usually we design it together. I figured something was wrong."

Hana covered up a smile. Joong Sil had been that way for as long as she could remember. He had abhorred the status quo and had made a life designing and inking tattoos.

"Hana, every time you hide, people notice. Just stand up like you usually do." She looked up at him when handed her the receipt along with her card. "Whatever you've done, face it head on. Don't worry about what others say. They're not the ones who have to live your life. You are."

She laughed. "How is it every time I come here, I leave with a lecture?"

"Because you don't listen to anyone otherwise. Unless it's Hyo Shin, and even then it's spotty." He tapped the top of his stool. "Get out. And take care of that."

Hana waved as she walked out the door. The night air nipped at her freshly abused skin. She had always loved the way it felt after getting a brand new piece of ink. It always took away from the pain of whatever she was going through.

The click of her heels disappeared as she neared the center of Hongdae. She liked this area better than Gangnam. It was so much more adventurous. People weren't afraid to be themselves. They could be musicians and artists and chefs. They could do whatever they wanted without repercussions.

She liked that. She liked that she could be herself and not worry about what anyone would say or think. She wasn't Lee Hana, daughter of Attorney General Lee Chan Hyuk. She was Hana, tattoo lover and extraordinary person. She was a damned good artist who sometimes made pictures for charity. They had sold better than some of the better acclaimed artists.

She slipped into her favorite cafe. The waiter smiled as she slipped into her favorite booth. She sat with her back against the wall and looked out the window. Her life had taken an amazing turn, something she had never considered ever happening.

"Sorry I'm late." She looked up as Cory sat down across from her. "I had a meeting run late."

"I'm amazed you could find time for me anyway," she quipped easily. "How is Hye Ri?"

"She's currently in Japan. She is hoping to expand the company to various cities there. She won't be home for a week." He reached across and slid his finger across her cheek. "How are you dealing since the merger?"

"Eric is still an ass, but he leaves me alone most days. Jun Jin is surprisingly funny. Andy and I have really turned the hotel in Jeju into a very profitable business."

Cory shook his head as the two cups were placed in front of him. "That's not what I mean."

Hana nodded. "I know what you mean, but nothing has changed. It's been nearly six months. Not that I've been counting."

"Have you hooked up with anyone fun?"

She lifted the cup to her mouth with a sly smile. "I was with one of the pool boys for a month or so. Until I found out he was also seeing one of the maids."

Cory's laugh was familiar and warm. She had only heard it on the phone for the last several months, but hearing it in person warmed her soul more than anything had in the last few weeks. She refused to cry even as the tears stung the backs of her eyes. It felt like she was at home.

"When do you go back?" he asked.

"Tomorrow. I had all my stuff sent to Jeju a couple of days ago. I'm pretty sure Rachel has already moved in."

"They'll get married soon. Did I tell you my brother is getting married?"

"I already knew. He told me the other day. Then he asked me to plan it."

"I'm so sorry."

Hana shook her head. "It's all right. It gives me something to do."

Cory heard the tone in her voice. "You're bored." She raised her eyebrows but didn't deny it. "Find something, or someone, interesting to do and do it. Don't waste your time pining over someone who can't handle who you are."

She didn't correct him on any of it because she didn't know if it was true or not. She didn't care enough to find out.

They hugged goodbye when they were finished, and Hana hailed a taxi to take her to the airport for the late night flight to Jeju. Everything she had to accomplish was finished, and there was no reason for her to postpone her return any longer.

She paid her cab fare and walked into the airport. Her ticket was supposed to be ready by the time she arrived so she could just pick it up and leave. She had no baggage to check in and her only carry-on was her purse.

The attendant was very kind as she picked up her ticket. She had upgraded it to first class since there had been a cancellation. Hana had never flown first class because she preferred the less stress of economy. No one was up her ass about whether or not she needed something, and if she did, she pressed the button.

She stopped by the cafe on her way to the gate for a light snack and another cup of coffee. She paid and waited for her beverages as patiently as a sloth.

"Hana-yah." She froze at the voice that said her name.

"Iced caramel macchiato and a cheese danish."

She took the items from the barista and turned to face the one who had called her name. She saw her mother first then her snake of a little brother behind her. He shrugged when she raised her lip at him. That meant he had been conned into telling their mother where she was and what she was doing.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "And what did the snake tell you?"

"Hyo Shin didn't tell me anything. Rachel did." Well, that made a lot more sense because Hyo Shin knew better. "The verdict came out. Nam So Jin will spend ten years in prison and will only be awarded parole if he behaves in that decade. Your father made sure of it."

"What does that have anything to do with you?"

"I have always been hard on you because I knew you could make something out of yourself. Don't roll your eyes at me."

Hana couldn't help the laugh that followed that statement. "No, you only wanted us to become the next attorney general. Oh, and let's not forget you pretty much forced Nam So Jin on me when I told you I wasn't ready for anything like that. You don't listen when anyone speaks. All you've ever cared about is the way people view you."

She noticed Hyo Shin inched his way around his mother until he was standing between the two of them with the majority of his weight pushed towards Hana.

"Your lifestyle embarrasses the entire family. Even your workplace talks about you. I've heard it. Did you know the mother of one of the secretaries said she saw pictures of your naked body on some man's camera? Do you know how embarrassing it is to see your daughter's nude back and the tattoos that tell you it is your daughter? How many abortions have you had to keep your lifestyle going?" her mother demanded.

"She can't have kids, Eomma," Hyo Shin muttered. Hana was too busy staring at her mother to say anything. "There's something wrong with her reproductive system that even surgeries can't fix. Even if she were to settle down and get married, she would be looked down on because of it. You would be embarrassed either way."

Hana wiped the tears away with the back of the hand holding the danish. Her mother had been the only one who had ever made her cry. Now wasn't anything different. She was still the shrill harpy who only looked out for herself.

Someone brushed past her mother and latched on to the back of her head. Warm lips met hers and coaxed her into calming down. There were only two people who could do that. She nearly dropped her danish, and that would have made her mad.

She opened her eyes to see Minwoo's happy eye-smile. He rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs, brushing the tears and makeup away.

"Don't cry. I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but you shouldn't cry." One hand slid down her arm until he took her hand in his. Their fingers laced, he turned to face her mother. "Excuse me, but we have a plane to catch."

"Who are you?" her mother asked.

Minwoo stopped on two feet from her and spun around. He kept his body between her and Hana. "Jeon Minwoo of Alpha Advertising which is now a subsidiary of Jeguk Group. I'm also the man Hana has been seeing, and I don't appreciate anyone making her cry. Last time someone did, she ended up being fired for distribution of pornography."

"How would you know?"

"I took those pictures. I know exactly what they look like and I'm proud of them. I'm proud of her, and if you can't be, then you can't be in her life."

Hyo Shin hid his laugh as his mother and Minwoo stood toe to toe. Since he had been watching his sister the last few years, he had never seen a man other than Cory and Won defend her choices. Won was married and would never take responsibility, and Cory had proven that the two of them were friends only. Hana had never had anyone to lean on. When she cried, no one had been there to hold her and dry the tears. No one had seen the real Hana.

Until Minwoo. He had swept in to do one job and had succeeded in doing another. He had calmed the raging storm that had been Hana for the last fifteen years. He had seen her in her worst and best states and had still pursued her. He had fought with her because she had meant something to him. That was why he was able to come between mother and daughter. Because his love was unconditional.

"You better go," Hyo Shin advised. "They've called for your flight."

"Minwoo-yah," Hana called. She tugged on his hand. "We've got to go."

He didn't move. "Don't call her unless it's a life or death situation. Don't talk to the press because I will make sure every ounce of dirt is spilled on you. Everyone knows about your daughter and son because you put too much pressure on them, but I'm sure no one knows what you did between those times. And with Jeguk Group as our partner, you'll never be able to get away with anything ever again."

When he was finished, he turned and tucked Hana's hand against his abdomen. She looked up at him with a pleasant smile then offered him a piece of her danish, something she never did for anyone. He took a bite then muttered something about it being too sweet. She scrunched her nose at him and followed him to the gate where they were allowed through to board the plane.

"Only a strong man who doesn't give a shit about what someone else thinks is able to tame the wild beast that is Lee Hana. All your blubbering, blustering and bashing did was make her leave, but she fell into the arms of someone who can stand up for her without being criticized. In reality, neither one of them cares what you say. None of us do." Hyo Shin looked at his mother with a grim face then left the airport.

* * *

Hana sat beside Minwoo in first class and tilted her head to the side as she watched him unabashedly. He talked candidly with the flight attendant. She was hitting on him but he didn't seem to notice.

He handed the menu back to the woman and turned to her. Hana quirked an eyebrow at him to which his mouth formed a perfect O. She shook her head and looked dead ahead.

"Lee Hana." She looked over at Minwoo when he called her name. "Don't run away from me anymore. Don't push me out. I don't care that you're a little different. I don't care that your past isn't as squeaky clean as everyone thinks it should be. That's not what draws me to you. So don't push me away."

"Don't boss me around and I won't," she replied. "Even Won doesn't do that and he's my boss."

He didn't answer her, and she knew she had pushed too far. She looked out the window as the plane took off. If he couldn't handle her being independent, this wasn't going to work. Once they got to the airport in Jeju, she would say her final goodbye and figure something else out. None of this was a big deal. Even if he had defended her against her mother, it didn't mean anything if he didn't let her be herself.

Suddenly, as if he knew what she was thinking, Minwoo gently shifted her until she was looking at him. His eyes were fierce as he stared at her.

"Give it up. I'm not going anywhere."

Hana let a slow smile spread across her face before she all but headbutted him. He laughed but didn't move. She pulled back a mere inch, tilted her head up and kissed his forehead. His smile was just as gentle because he knew what it meant, and he returned the favor.

It was their sign that they would protect and provide for each other forever.


End file.
